Border Patrol agents in the Laredo Sector rescued two migrants who became lost while hiking through ranches in South Texas. Agents assigned to an immigration inspection checkpoint discovered 32 foreign nationals packed in the back of a tractor-trailer.
B0rder Patrol agents received a call for assistance from an illegal immigrant who became lost on Tuesday on a ranch northwest of Hebbronville, Texas. Hebbronville is located about 55 miles northeast of the Mexican border with Texas. Human smugglers often force migrants to march through the ranches in this area to avoid capture at Border Patrol inspection checkpoints. This frequently puts the migrants in danger of death or serious injury when they become lost or fall behind.
The agents arrested the migrant and later identified him as a Mexican national illegally present in the U.S., according to information obtained by Breitbart Texas from U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.
Later that day, agents working near the border town of Zapata received a call for assistance from another illegal immigrant from Mexico who could no longer walk because of “excruciating pain” in his feet, officials said. An agent who is certified as an Emergency Medical Attention provided medical assistance to the man before agents transported him to the station for processing.
“These events illustrate how the men and women of the United States Border Patrol not only serve to protect our borders but are also committed to the preservation of life and assist anyone in need,” Laredo Sector Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Gabriel H. Acosta said in a written statement.
As these rescues occurred, agents working the Highway 35 immigration checkpoint questioned the driver of a tractor-trailer that stopped for inspection. Agents became suspicious of the driver during questions about his immigration status and ordered the driver to move the truck to the secondary inspection area.
Agents learned the driver is a Mexican national. During the secondary inspection, the agents found 32 illegal immigrants packed into the back of the hot trailer. The migrants came to the U.S. from Mexico and Guatemala, officials stated.
Agents took the Mexican national driver into custody. He will be turned over to the Department of Justice for possible prosecution on charges of human smuggling.
No one in the trailer required medical attention.
“These criminal organizations view these individuals as mere commodities without regard for their safety. The blatant disregard for human life will not be tolerated. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle these organizations and prosecute those responsible,” Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Acosta said.
Officials seized the tractor-trailer and processed the foreign nationals for immigration proceedings.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX, GAB, and Facebook.
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