14 Arrests Within Hours at the Checkpoint

FALFURRIAS, Texas – Falfurrias Border Patrol Station (FLF) agents interdicted two migrant smuggling events in tractor-trailers at the Falfurrias Border Patrol Checkpoint.

On Jan. 17, at approximately 4:00 p.m., a Freightliner truck hauling a trailer arrived at the Falfurrias Border Patrol Checkpoint for inspection. The commercial vehicle was referred to the secondary inspection area following a K9 alert. A search of the trailer revealed six migrants from Mexico, including four children between the ages of 8–15 years old, were found laying on the floor between stacked lumber.

The trailer doors were closed and the tarp was strapped down preventing any means of escape in the event of an emergency. Additionally, the temperature inside the cargo area was 123.3 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of the encounter. The driver and unlawfully present migrants were placed under arrest and escorted inside the checkpoint.

A few hours later, FLF agents encountered another similar situation. Agents discovered five unlawfully present migrants amongst produce in the trailer cargo area of a blue Kenworth truck. The migrants who are nationals of Central America and Mexico were unable to freely exit the trailer as the doors were latched closed. The United States Citizen driver and Legally Admitted Permanent Resident passenger, along with the migrants were placed under arrest.