83 Migrants Found in Four Smuggling Attempts in Texas near Border

Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 80 migrants at four separate human smuggling checkpoints. The agents recovered the migrants from packed commercial vehicles at interior immigration checkpoints.

Laredo West Station Border Patrol agents assigned to the Highway 83 checkpoint on January 30 observed a white tract0r-trailer approaching for inspection. During the initial screening, a Border Patrol K-9 alerted to an odor it is trained to detect coming from the trailer, according to information obtained from Laredo Sector Border Patrol officials.

The agents referred the driver to a secondary inspection station. Agents unlocked the trailer to carry out a physical search. Inside, they found 42 migrants. None of the 42 locked inside the trailer with poor ventilation wore any kind of personal protection equipment to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, officials reported.

An immigration interview identified the 42 migrants as having traveled to the U.S. from Mexico and Guatemala. The agents placed the migrants under arrest for illegal entry into the U.S. They also arrested the U.S. citizen driver and seized the tractor-trailer rig.

In three other incidents tweeted by Laredo Sector Chief Patrol Agent Matthew Hudak above, agents apprehended another 41 migrants who were dangerously stashed inside commercial transport vehicles.

Hudak reported a substantial increase in the discovery of human smuggling attempts at checkpoints in his sector. Since October 1, 2020, his agents, with the help of their K-9 crews, apprehended 3,136 persons at interior checkpoints.

Border Patrol officials report they are still expelling migrants apprehended after illegally entering the U.S. under Title 42 Coronavirus protection protocols put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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.