12 Migrants Arrested in Stolen Pickup Truck, Say Feds

Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents arrested 12 migrants and recovered a truck that had been stolen from North Texas.

Agents assigned to the Laredo North Border Patrol Station observed a red truck on a ranch on Highway 44 west of Encinal, Texas, during the early morning hours of September 23, according to Laredo Sector officials. The agents entered the ranch and began searching for the truck. They found the truck abandoned in an adjacent property, officials stated.

The ranch is located near the town of Encinal, Texas, not far from the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint located on Interstate 35 between Laredo and San Antonio. It is likely that smugglers would drop off the migrants in this area and have them circumvent the checkpoint.

The agents initiated a search and eventually apprehended 12 people by following their foot tracks in the sand. Officials transported the 12 to the Laredo North Border Patrol Station for identification and a background investigation.

Officials identified all 12 of the individuals as being illegally present in the United States. The migrants came to the U.S. from China, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, the report states.

Officials placed all 12 under arrest on immigration violations. The report indicates they are being held pending further investigation.

A check on the vehicle revealed it had been reported stolen between Wichita Falls and Fort Worth.
Laredo Sector Border Patrol officials did not disclose if the driver was one of the 12 migrants or if they managed to avoid apprehension.

Officials turned the red pickup truck over to the Webb County Sheriff’s Office for resolution of the stolen vehicle report.