Border Patrol agents in southern Texas rescued over two dozen individuals attempting to further their illegal entry into the United States via concealed train cars.
Several hours later, during the early morning hours of October 19, agents discovered another 13 individuals confined in a similar car. Agents used a ladder to rescue all 27 people from the enclosed containers.
All 27 individuals were determined to be from Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala and illegally entered the United States, the agency said. None of them were wearing any personal protective equipment (PPE) when they were found in the cramped quarters.
“Without the aid of a ladder or other means of exiting the train cars, these people’s lives could have tragically ended if they had remained trapped for indefinite periods of time,” the agency said. “Additionally, by placing groups of people in these cramped spaces without the use of PPE, it heightens the risk of COVID-19 infection.”
“Hebbronville station agents encountered another train case in which smuggled aliens were trapped inside a small confined space; this time completely locked in with no means of escape,” Laredo Sector Chief Patrol Agent Matthew J. Hudak said at that time in a press release. “These dangerous and potentially deadly tactics used by smugglers and illegal aliens continue to put the aliens and their rescuers at significant risk and significantly increase the potential spread of COVID-19.”