A Mexican citizen with a U.S. green card was arrested last week for allegedly smuggling another Mexican citizen with no documentation into the United States. The arrest was made by agents of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) according to a release.
The driver of the car, an as-yet unnamed forty-year-old Mexican woman was crossing the bridge from Mexico with a female friend and their minor children. The driver presented her U.S. permanent resident documentation and the other adult woman presented her entry documentation and that of her children. After a primary inspection was completed by the Border Patrol agents, the vehicle was moved to a passport control secondary screening location. During this inspection, a Mexican male, aged 42, was discovered hiding in the rear of the vehicle. He was determined to be a Mexican citizen with no identification.
In the press release, CBP Brownsville Port Director Michael Freeman said, “This alleged smuggling attempt of a man from Mexico into the country was stopped by our CBP officers working on enforcing immigration laws at our country’s borders. This man will not be allowed to enter the country and the alleged smuggler will face federal charges thanks to the work on the front line by our CBP officers.”
The CBP officers took the driver and the allegedly smuggled passenger into custody. The other woman in the vehicle, along with all of the minor children were released. The driver’s minor children were released to a family member.
As none of the names have been released at this point, it is not clear if there was any kind of family relationship between the driver and the man in the rear of the car. It is unclear if she was working as a “coyote” or if there was any other financial consideration made for the transportation.
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