HIDALGO, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Pharr International Bridge intercepted a woman for alleged violations of immigration law. The United States citizen allegedly attempted to facilitate the entry of a three-year-old child into the United States without valid entry documents.
“Our frontline CBP officers stopped this alleged smuggling attempt of a minor child into the country at our country’s borders. The child was returned to her mother and both were returned to Mexico. The alleged smuggler will face federal smuggling charges,” said Port Director Efrain Solis, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.
On Oct. 8 at the Pharr International Bridge a 24-year-old female, United States citizen who resides in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua and a minor child applied for admission to enter the United States. The 24-year-old woman presented a U.S. passport for herself and a U.S. birth certificate for the minor child as their entry documents. A CBP officer’s primary inspection resulted in the vehicle’s occupants being referred to CBP secondary for further inspection and review of entry documents presented. In passport control secondary, CBP officers reviewed the birth certificate presented by the adult. CBP officers further determined the female child is a Mexican citizen and has no legal documents to enter or reside in the United States.
CBP officers took the adult female into custody for alleged violations of immigration law. The three-year-old female child was processed and turned over to her mother who arrived at the port of entry. Both were returned to Mexico.
CBP Field Operations at Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry is part of the South Texas Campaign, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations.