More than 130 undocumented immigrants were found in two safe houses by Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector in Texas, an area overwhelmed by the arrival of migrants in recent months, Customs and Customs Office reported Tuesday Border Protection (CBP).
The findings came in two separate incidents Monday.
In the first operation, Border Patrol agents, in coordination with local and state authorities, arrived at a property in Alton, Texas, which was apparently used to house undocumented migrants.
[The White House backs the Dreamers as the Senate begins to debate the law with which they risk their future in the US]
Upon noticing the presence of the authorities, several people fled the scene, CBP detailed in a statement.
A total of 108 migrants were taken into Border Patrol custody, including one person who was allegedly taking care of them.
Within the group were five children who entered the country alone and two family groups with children up to 6 years old, CBP noted.
U visa delivery in the US will be expedited and hope grows for victims of violence
June 15, 202102: 46
Among the group of detainees were migrants from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Ecuador.
[Panic attacks and self-harm: this is the despair experienced by migrant children in emergency shelters]
An hour later, the Border Patrol station in the city of Río Grande received information about another safe house that was used to host migrants.
Federal agents and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) police discovered 23 adult migrants who appeared to be alone in the home. The Border Patrol processed all the migrants.
CBP encouraged the public to report any suspicious activity.
"Even with the spread of COVID-19, human traffickers continue to attempt these blatant attempts without regard for the lives they endanger and the health of our nation's citizens," the agency noted.
Members of the Texas Military Department stand guard along the U.S.-Mexico border Tuesday, May 11, 2021, in Rome, Texas.AP Photo / Gregory Bull
Last May, migrant detentions on the US-Mexico border reached another all-time high with more than 180,034 undocumented detainees.
[The Border Patrol rescues 9 undocumented migrants who were lost in a wild area of California]
The figure represents an increase of about 1% compared to the 178,622 in April, which in turn was 3% higher than the 173,348 in March, two months that at the time already marked all-time highs.
Most of the arrests of undocumented immigrants, more than 121,000, corresponded to adults traveling alone, a sharp increase compared to 111,000 the previous month;
while more than 44,000 arrived in families.
With information from EFE.
