LA GRULLA, Texas ̶̶ Agents apprehended a woman and her 11-year old daughter late Saturday night. The woman, a Honduran national, told Border Patrol agents she was robbed and beaten by smugglers after she refused to let them rape her 11-year-old daughter.
The Honduran national, traveling with her cousin and her daughter, told agents that two smugglers floated them across the Rio Grande on a raft. Once on the American side, the smugglers threatened to rape her daughter. The woman protected her child by attempting to fight them off. The two smugglers then pinned her down and repeatedly punched her in the face and stomach as her daughter watched screaming and crying. The woman says she scratched one of the subjects’ face injuring him enough to stop the assault. The other smuggler then robbed them of their money and belongings before fleeing back to Mexico.
The woman and her family were medically screened and are in good health. The case has been referred to the Starr County Sheriff’s Office for investigation.
“Human smugglers are ruthless cowards who prey upon the desperation of immigrants and this pattern must stop,” said Chief Patrol Agent Manuel Padilla Jr. “In this case, preying upon the most helpless proves yet again that these violent individuals have no regard for human life. The atrocities committed by these heartless criminals must end.”
The Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector is part of the Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations. Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to Customs and Border Protection.