U.S. Border Patrol agents investigate stash houses

Courtesy of U.S. Border Patrol

On Thursday U.S. Border Patrol agents working the Rio Grande Valley Sector in Texas collaborate with the Starr County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force to identified a stash house operating in Roma, Texas. Once inside the house they found eight illegal aliens from the countries of Mexico and Guatemala. All individuals were processed accordingly.

This Friday was very busy for deputies from the Webb County Sheriff's Office as they executed an arrest warrant at a known stash house on Garfield Street in Laredo, Texas. As they searched the house they encountered eight male individuals as U.S. Border Patrol agents arrived on the scene. The agents conducted immigration inspections on the individuals, who were determined to be illegally in the United States from the country of Guatemala. The stash house caretaker, a Mexican national, was determined to be illegally in the United States and was arrested. All individuals were processed accordingly. 

Courtesy of U.S. Border Patrol

Meanwhile in down in Progreso, Texas, U.S. Border Patrol agents working the Weslaco station witnessed a man trying to smuggle several bundles of narcotics that were loaded onto his vehicle near the bank of the Rio Grande. He then drove north to exploit one of the gaps in the border wall. The driver, a 23-year-old United States citizen, was arrested by the agents when they did a vehicle stop. The four bundles of marijuana, estimated at over 300 pounds, along with the vehicle were seized.

Courtesy of U.S. Border Patrol

Reunification for Eligible Children

HHS Secretary Alex Azar, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reunification efforts for children under age 5 has been completed.

“Dedicated teams at the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Justice have worked tirelessly. Our agencies’ careful vetting procedures helped prevent the reunification of children with an alleged murderer, an adult convicted of child cruelty, and adults determined not to be the parent of the child. Trump administration does not approach this mission lightly, and we intend to continue our good faith efforts to reunify families.”

“The American people gave this administration a mandate to end the lawlessness at the border, and #President Trump is keeping his promise to do exactly that. The message has been clear all along: Do not risk your own life or the life of your child by attempting to enter the United States illegally. Apply lawfully and wait your turn.”

“The American immigration system is the most generous in the world, but we are a nation of laws and we intend to continue enforcing those laws.”

There are 103 children under age 5 covered by the court case. Of the 103 children:

• 57 children have been reunified as of 7 a.m. EST on July 12.
• 46 children were acknowledged by the court to be ineligible for reunification or determined by HHS, DHS, and DOJ to be ineligible under court-approved criteria.

Of these 46:

• 22 children have been found ineligible due to safety concerns posed by the adults in question:
• 11 adults have a serious criminal history (charges or convictions for child cruelty, kidnapping, murder, human smuggling, domestic violence, etc.).
• 7 adults were determined not to be a parent.
• 1 adult had a falsified birth certificate (parentage is being examined).
• 1 adult was alleged to have abused the child.
• 1 adult planned to house the child with an adult charged with sexually abusing a child.
• 1 adult is being treated for a communicable disease.

• 24 children are not currently eligible for reunification due to circumstances of the adults in question:
• 12 adults have been deported and are being contacted.
• 9 adults are in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service for other offenses.
• 2 adults are in custody of state jails for other offenses.
• 1 adult’s location has been unknown for over a year.

Some people travel a long way to do their shopping

Courtesy of CBP

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport had to bring in the agriculture specialists on Feb. 4^th, when they discovered 22 pounds of raw meat packed in a womans bags. The woman was arriving from Vietnam and was referred for baggage exam, at which time they found animal parts, organs and glands that at one time belonged to pigs, chickens, and cows. The animal parts consisted of brains, hearts, tongues, heads, and other body parts.

Courtesy of CBP

And on Feb. 10^th they found live plants and seeds inside the luggage of another woman after the agriculture canine “Gadget” told CBP officers that she had more then just the apple and chocolate she declared. CBP reported the seizure of two live trees and one live potted tamarind plant as well as 42 packages of seeds, 20 pieces of palm tree plantings, chicory seeds, rice, millet, and fresh garlic were also among the prohibited items.