U.S. Customs And Border Protection Officers In Southern Texas Foil Alleged Smuggling Attempt Of A Minor Child

Brownsville, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Veterans’ port of entry intercepted a woman and her boyfriend for alleged violations of immigration law. The United States citizen allegedly attempted to facilitate a Mexican child’s entry into the United States without valid entry documents.

On Thursday, April 12, at the Veterans’ International Bridge, a 34-year-old female U.S. citizen who resides in Snow Hill, North Carolina, her 36-year-old boyfriend, a citizen of Mexico and four minor children applied for admission to enter the United States. A CBP officer’s primary inspection resulted in the vehicle and its occupants being referred to CBP secondary for further examination. In passport control secondary, CBP officers used a CBP database and discovered that one of the minor children is a citizen of Mexico from Villahermosa, Mexico with no legal documents to enter or reside in the United States.

CBP officers took the adults into custody for alleged violations of immigration law. The 10-year-old Mexican minor child was processed, reunited with his mother and returned to Mexico. The three U.S. citizen children were turned over to family members.

“Brownsville CBP officers foiled another alleged attempt to bring an undocumented minor into the country. The work our CBP officers undertake each day can be tedious and complicated; stopping an alleged child smuggler on the border prevents further harm the boy may face. I applaud the work being done by our CBP officers,” said Port Director Michael Freeman.

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 official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.