Immigration
Custom Border Patrol rescues 35 migrants abandoned by smugglers in New Mexico
“As temperatures begin to rise, ruthless smugglers continue to place the lives of people in danger,” Chief Patrol Agent Anthony “Scott” Good said. “Incredible job by our agents in identifying & intercepting the smuggling scheme”
June 13, 2023 7:30am
Updated: June 13, 2023 7:30am
U.S. Border Patrol agents rescued 35 migrants from a box trailer that was abandoned by smugglers in the blazing heat in New Mexico, authorities said.
On June 7, Border Patrol agents from the Santa Teresa Station received information about a potential smuggling scheme. When they arrived at the scene, they found a red truck pulling a trailer parked near La Union, New Mexico, a farming community on the outskirts of El Paso.
The truck then began to drive to the nearby town of Anthony, New Mexico, where it suddenly stopped. Immediately, three individuals got out of the truck and ran into a pecan orchard.
Border Patrol agents approached the vehicle and opened the box trailer, discovering 35 undocumented migrants inside.
Despite the heat and the lack of ventilation inside the box trailer, the migrants were found in good condition, Border Patrol said in a statement.
Chief Patrol Agent Anthony “Scott” Good tweeted a picture of the truck and the trailer, as well as a picture of all the migrants found inside. The migrants were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The migrants will be medically evaluated and processed accordingly.
35 MIGRANTS LOCATED INSIDE A BOX TRAILER! As temperatures begin to rise, ruthless smugglers continue place the lives of people in danger. Incredible job by our agents in identifying & intercepting the smuggling scheme. @CBP pic.twitter.com/1xVgOkHVQd
— Anthony “Scott” Good (@USBPChiefEPT) June 8, 2023
The three smugglers who ran away were not found, according to a spokesperson for Border Patrol.
“As temperatures begin to rise, ruthless smugglers continue to place the lives of people in danger,” Good tweeted. “Incredible job by our agents in identifying & intercepting the smuggling scheme.”
To reach the U.S., many migrants pay smugglers to get them across Mexico and into the United States undetected. However, officials have warned that picking such a route can be dangerous. In December 2021, 49 migrants died after a driver abandoned the vehicle under extreme heat conditions, leaving them trapped inside for hours.
