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  4. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers Halt Alleged Smuggling Attempt of a Minor Child

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers Halt Alleged Smuggling Attempt of a Minor Child

Release Date
Thu, 07/11/2013

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Gateway International Bridge at the Brownsville port of entry intercepted a man 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 Wednesday, July 10, at the Gateway International Bridge a 37-year-old male U.S. citizen who resides in Brownsville, Texas and four minor children applied for admission to enter the United States. The adult male driver of the 2012 Nissan Sentra presented entry documents for himself and three of the children. A CBP officer's primary inspection resulted in the adult and four children being referred to CBP secondary for further examination. In passport control secondary a CBP officer discovered that one of the minors has no legal documents to enter or reside in the United States. CBP officers further identified the six-year-old boy as a citizen of Mexico.

CBP officers took the adult into custody for alleged violations of immigration law. The Mexican minor child was processed as an unaccompanied alien child and will be placed in the care of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS-ORR). The U.S. citizen minors were returned to their mother in the United States.

"This alleged smuggling of a six-year-old boy was prevented by our CBP officers working to keep our borders and these children safe from potential harm. These types of cases brings our officers' training to the forefront and exemplifies the hard work they undertake every day," said Michael Freeman, port director, Brownsville.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021