MANDEVILLE, Louisiana – A missing girl from the Houston area was found by local law enforcement in southeast Louisiana traveling with three illegal immigrants from Guatemala in a possible scenario where she could have been trafficked.
The young girl was discovered by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office after a deputy pulled over a red Honda Civic with a Texas plate for shining its high beams on an interstate, according to WWL-TV.
Upon pulling the car over and looking inside the vehicle, the deputy noticed the young girl amid the three illegal immigrants, soon after finding out that she was the same girl whom Houston law enforcement had announced missing on January 5.
The deputy and St. Tammany Parish officials handed the three illegal immigrants over to U.S. Border Patrol agents and took the missing girl into custody, eventually sending her back home to reunite with her family.
Although no charges have yet to be filed against the three illegal immigrants, the investigation into the matter is still ongoing. Officials said the girl could have become the victim of human trafficking had she not been found and saved by the St. Tammany Parish deputy.
“We are uncertain of the circumstances that occurred in Houston, and not sure what the intentions were of these three men, however, we are happy that this young lady is now safe and back home with her family,” Sheriff Randy Smith said in a statement.
John Binder is a contributor for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.