An investigation after the apprehension of two migrants who illegally entered the U.S. in El Paso, Texas, led to the discovery of the fraudulent smuggling of a one-year-old child. An alleged smuggler attempted to illegally cross the child using fraudulent documents two days earlier through the El Paso Port of Entry.
El Paso Sector Border Patrol agents responded to a call at the El Paso International Airport on January 20. Once on the scene, they discovered four migrants attempting to board an aircraft with fraudulent documents, according to information provided by El Paso Sector Border Patrol officials. The four Ecuadorian migrants who previously entered the U.S. illegally were arrested as they sought to board departing flights.
The agents interviewed the four Ecuadorians and learned that two of them previously hired a human smuggler in a scheme to illegally cross their one-year-old daughter through the El Paso Port of Entry. The parents said they had no idea of their daughter’s current whereabouts, officials reported.
The agents launched an investigation and coordinated with other agencies. The search led to the finding of the toddler.
The agents report that a 17-year-old U.S. citizen female attempted to cross from Mexico into the U.S. through the El Paso Port of Entry a few days earlier. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the port determined the documents presented by the juvenile smuggler were fraudulent. Officials turned the baby girl over to Health and Human Services. The report says prosecutors deferred filing human smuggling charges against the teen.
“This serves as an example of the coordinated tactics human smugglers use to exploit human beings. It’s a frequent reality at the border that many do not witness,” El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez said in a written statement. “I am extremely proud of the determination displayed by agents in helping to reunite this one-year-old child with her family.”
Officials did not disclose if CPS was notified about the possible dangers the parents subjected the baby to by turning her over to human smugglers.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s Sunday-morning talk show, What’s Your Point? Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX, Parler @BobPrice, and Facebook.
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