http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060927/dcw019.html?.v=76

Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection


Border Patrol Agents Rescue Seven People Trapped in Locked Trailer
Wednesday September 27, 8:38 am ET


KINGSVILLE, Texas, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- This past weekend, Border Patrol Agents rescued seven people that were concealed between pallets of cargo hauled in a locked tractor-trailer.

The rescue occurred when a tractor-trailer entered the Sarita Border Patrol Checkpoint for an immigration inspection. While conducting an immigration inspection on the driver, a Border Patrol Canine Team conducting a free-air sniff alerted to the front of the trailer. The vehicle was referred to the secondary inspection area where a search of the trailer revealed seven people. Everyone appeared to be in good health and declined medical attention. All seven were determined to be Mexican nationals illegally in the United States. The driver of the tractor-trailer is a 33 year-old United States citizen.

Texas National Guard personnel assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Sector in support of Operation Jump Start assisted the Kingsville Border Patrol Agents by clearing the cargo from the tractor-trailer. This collaborative effort illustrates how the Texas National Guardsmen are directly supporting the Border Patrol allowing the agents to focus on their law enforcement duties.

Since October 1, 2005, Border Patrol agents have rescued over 550 people in the Rio Grande Valley Sector's area of responsibility.

In the ongoing effort to disrupt human trafficking and smuggling, the Rio Grande Valley Sector has created a toll-free telephone number for the community to report suspicious activity -- 1-800-863-9382.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

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Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection