Border Patrol Agents Rescue Migrants Hidden in Aftermarket Compartment




Release Date: September 27, 2021



EDINBURG, Texas – Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents disrupt three smuggling attempts during the weekend.






False compartment in box truck.



Early morning, on Sept. 25, a box truck with two visible occupants approached the primary inspection lane at the Javier Vega Jr. Border Patrol Checkpoint near Sarita, Texas. During the inspection, a canine alerted to the vehicle and the driver was directed to park in the secondary inspection area.

At secondary inspection, agents discovered eight migrants concealed within an aftermarket compartment built within the cargo truck. The migrants are citizens of Mexico and El Salvador. The drivers and passenger were placed under arrest and escorted inside the checkpoint.

That evening, Fort Brown Border Patrol Station agents working in Brownsville, Texas, encountered a black Mazda 6 sedan suspected of being used for human smuggling. Agents attempted to initiate a vehicle stop, however the driver refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued.

The vehicle came to a stop near an empty parking lot where the driver exited the vehicle in an attempt to flee. Agents approached the sedan and discovered three people in the trunk of the vehicle. The migrants are citizens of Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador. The driver was not located.






Migrants concealed in trunk



Hours later, McAllen Border Patrol Station agents observed several subjects entering a Chevrolet Tahoe in a parking lot near Mission, Texas. Agents approached the vehicle and apprehended a total of 11 migrants from Mexico and Honduras all illegally present in the United States. The driver and all migrants were transported to the McAllen station for processing.

Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to Customs and Border Protection. Follow us on Twitter @CBPRGV and @USBPChiefRGV.




https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-m...et-compartment