FALFURRIAS, Texas — A pursuit by U.S. Border Patrol and deputies from the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office resulted in the capture of a human smuggler and his cargo of illegal immigrants — approximately 90 miles into Texas. The vehicle had already dropped off a group of illegal immigrants in the ranch fields near the town of Encino, Texas, just south of the Falfurrias Border Patrol Checkpoint, before being captured.
Deputies from the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office were just south of the drop off working an accident where an 18-wheeler had run off the road after the driver had fallen asleep while driving. Deputy Brett Zable and volunteer Deputy Daniel Walden heard radio traffic of the Border Patrol pursuit which had begun just north of their position.
As they approached the accident location, the two deputies entered the pursuit and quickly surrounded the smuggler who stopped and was taken into custody by Deputy Zable. Oddly, the suspect claimed not to be driving the vehicle he had just been removed from. Further questioning of the alleged smuggler revealed he had previously been apprehended by Zable and was arrested for human smuggling by Border Patrol.
The suspect was working with another vehicle which managed to evade capture by turning down Highway 755 towards the town of Rio Grande City. Authorities in that county were notified of the vehicle and asked to search for it. It is not known at this time whether the 2nd vehicle was captured.
The two vehicles had dropped off about twenty suspected illegal immigrants. The drop off was witnessed by the Border Patrol agent who began the pursuit. A search conducted by the Border Patrol using the Aerostat search aircraft, dogs, and members of the Border Patrol BORSTAT team quickly rounded up the immigrants.
The smuggling suspect was taken into custody by the Border Patrol agents.
Bob Price is a staff writer and a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.