Texas Department of Public Safety officers, who are part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star, are successfully apprehending human smugglers at the border.
Authorities say that the apprehension of smugglers is taking place through multiple methods. DPS brush teams and troopers are successfully capturing smugglers through traffic stops and vehicle inspections. It is worth noting that the majority of offenders are men of military age who are actively trying to avoid being caught.
In Brownsville, a 17-year-old male smuggling guide was apprehended by a DPS brush team. According to DPS, he was the one responsible for leading numerous foreign nationals across the Rio Grande River from Mexico to unlawfully enter Texas between ports of entry. After an extensive search conducted by DPS troopers and drone operators, he was discovered hiding inside a shed at the border.
Luis Alberto Torres, hailing from Matamoros, Mexico, has been charged by DPS with felony human smuggling. He has subsequently been taken into custody and transferred to the Cameron County jail.
According to the Department of Public Safety (DPS), Torres has a long record of more than 90 apprehensions related to drug, human, and exotic monkey smuggling.
During a three-day operation, a brush team from the DPS apprehended seven Mexican nationals who were serving as foot guides for human smuggling in the Rio Grande Valley. In a separate incident, Gabriel Gutierrez-Perez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested after being observed getting picked up by a human smuggler on a jet ski while crossing the Rio Grande River. It was later revealed that Gutierrez-Perez was wanted in Florida for charges related to sexual assault on a child, child molestation, and sexual battery on a child. He had a valid extradition warrant as well.
DPS officers apprehended smugglers – both foreign nationals and U.S. citizens – who were heading north from the border after picking up individuals who had illegally entered between ports of entry during traffic stops.
A DPS officer in Webb County pulled over a driver of a Lincoln Navigator who was heading north on I-35 from Laredo to San Antonio. Upon stopping, several Mexican nationals quickly exited the vehicle and fled towards the nearby brush.
The driver, who hails from Laredo, has been arrested and is facing charges of smuggling people. After a successful operation, DPS troopers were able to apprehend and refer seven individuals from Mexico to the Border Patrol.
DPS troopers in La Salle County successfully foiled yet another human smuggling attempt, as they apprehended a total of 23 illegal foreign nationals.
The DPS initiated a chase on I-35 heading north towards San Antonio when the driver of a truck tractor hauling a flatbed trailer refused to stop for a commercial vehicle safety inspection. Eventually, the driver came to a stop, quickly exited the vehicle, and fled into the nearby brush.
DPS troopers, along with La Salle County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Border Patrol agents, discovered a group of 23 illegal foreign nationals concealed in the floor of a flatbed trailer. The individuals, consisting of 15 men, six women, and two juveniles, had entered the country illegally from Mexico. Among them were citizens of Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. Unfortunately, one person required medical attention for dehydration and was transported to a nearby hospital. Border Patrol was then contacted and all 23 individuals were handed over to them for further processing.
During a traffic stop in Vale Verde County, a DPS trooper noticed that there were several individuals crowded in the back of a Chevrolet Tahoe.
Amy Nicole Martinez, the driver from San Angelo, was questioned about her whereabouts, as she was found 160 miles away from her home. In response, she mentioned that she had “come down to visit.” Interestingly, she seemed unaware of her exact location, mistakenly stating that she was “in Del Rio, El Paso” – two cities that are over 425 miles apart. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that she had actually been in Eagle Pass, which is located in Maverick County, two counties south of Val Verde County where she was pulled over.
Upon exiting the vehicle, Jaron Markeis Daniels, a passenger in the front seat hailing from Dallas, swiftly made his way towards a nearby neighborhood. Another DPS officer promptly gave chase on foot and successfully apprehended him.
Several individuals in the vehicle also fled and were captured, with one of them even running into oncoming traffic.
Martinez faced charges of smuggling five individuals, while Daniels faced charges of smuggling five people, evading arrest, and resisting arrest.
Four foreign nationals who were in the country illegally have been handed over to the U.S. Border Patrol. Among them is Jesus Aguilar-Aguilar, a Mexican citizen who has been charged with evading arrest, assaulting a public servant, and resisting arrest. Aguilar-Aguilar briefly struggled with a trooper before being apprehended.