Customs and Border Protection arrested three people in three separate incidents at the southern border over the past few days involving human smuggling attempts and the presentation of fake entry documents, the agency said.
One woman and two men were arrested in the three incidents at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo, Texas, for immigration law violations, CBP said in a news release on Monday.
"CBP officers utilize their inspection and interview skills to help identify all individuals making entry through our port of entry," Port Director Albert Flores from the Laredo Port of Entry said in the release. "The skillset applied in these would-be smuggling attempts illustrates the commitment our officers uphold towards enforcing U.S. immigration laws."
On Friday, CBP officers assigned to bus operations at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge encountered a 35-year-old female Mexican citizen traveling on a commercial bus who presented U.S. birth certificates for three children – a 7-year-old girl, an 11-year-old boy and a 5-month-old boy — and a 30-year-old woman traveling aboard with her. They were all referred for a secondary inspection.
During the examination, CBP officers found that the birth certificates were legitimate but did not belong to the young children or the 30-year-old woman in question, who were all Mexican citizens without valid entry documents.
The 35-year-old woman was arrested for the alleged violation of U.S. immigration law.
The second incident happened later on Friday when CBP officers encountered a 48-year-old male Mexican citizen traveling in a 2020 Dodge Ram who presented a U.S. Employment Authorization Card for a woman. The CBP officers referred them for a secondary inspection.
It was discovered during the inspection that the Employment Authorization Card was legitimate but did not belong to the woman, who was identified as a 48-year-old Mexican citizen without valid entry documents.
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The 48-year-old man was arrested for the alleged violation of U.S. immigration law.
The third incident happened on Saturday during an examination of arriving bus passengers in which CBP officers referred a 30-year-old male bus passenger, a Mexican citizen, for a secondary inspection.
During the examination, CBP officers learned that the passenger was in possession of a counterfeit State of Texas identification card.
The 30-year-old man was arrested for the alleged violation of U.S. immigration law.
