Smugglers Cover 100 Migrants in Chemicals to Throw Border Patrol K9 off Scent in Texas

Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents found 100 migrants covered in a dangerous chemical inside a trailer as temperatures soared above 100 degrees.

“Picture yourself in this situation: 100 plus degree Fahrenheit weather, locked in a trailer in complete darkness, no circulating air, 100 strangers rubbing shoulders with you, covered from head to toe in High Calcium Hydrated Lime, inhaling the empowering scent of Fabuloso (all-purpose cleaner), and entrusting your life to an unknown smuggler,” Laredo Sector Border Patrol official said in a written statement. “Unfortunately, these are common scenarios undocumented individuals face while trying to enter and travel through the U.S. undetected.”

Laredo Sector agents found the migrants locked inside the hot trailer. The smugglers covered them in the dangerous High Calcium Hydrated Lime chemical to hide the human scent from Border Patrol K-9 teams at interior checkpoints.

“Calcium Hydroxide is used in industrial settings, such as sewage treatment, paper production, construction, and food processing, therefore, it produces a potential health risk for individuals,” officials stated. “Calcium hydroxide is a hazardous substance and can severely irritate the skin and eyes, or cause permanent eye damage.”

Officials said ingesting High Calcium Hydrated Lime can lead to potential poisoning and death.

“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes Fabuloso as a strong chemical that is associated with health problems such as nose, throat, and lung irritation, sneezing, wheezing, dermatitis, difficulty breathing, and even asthma,” the press release states.

Officials said human smugglers have no regard for the health and safety of these migrants. The covering of the migrants with these dangerous chemicals is one of many tactics the smugglers use to try and sneak the migrants past Border Patrol checkpoints.

The images in the tweet above “are tragic testimonies of the ruthless and careless methods transnational criminal organizations use to carry out their illicit activities,” officials concluded. “The use of these chemicals is another [indication] of how smugglers view undocumented individuals, as a mere commodity.”

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 What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.