2-year-old crosses border alone seeking parents in US, heartbreaking video from Texas DPS shows



The Texas Department of Public Safety shared heartbreaking videos on Sunday showing dozens of unaccompanied children who had recently crossed the southern border into the United States.

Among the group of 60 children was a 2-year-old girl who told law enforcement officers that she had journeyed alone and was hoping to be reunited with her parents in the U.S. In the video, the child clutched a piece of paper, which she extended toward the officers. Inscribed on the note was a name and phone number.

'Regardless of political views, it is unacceptable for any child to be exposed to dangerous criminal trafficking networks.'

An officer asked the child, "Did you come by yourself?"

She nodded her head in the affirmative.

"How old are you?" the officer inquired.

The child held up a couple of fingers and responded, "Two."

When asked where she was going, she replied, "With my mom and dad," who she stated were in the U.S.

The heart-wrenching video was shared by Texas DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez, who also posted two other clips showing unaccompanied minors lined up near the southern border, presumably while awaiting processing. Going down the rows, the children shared their age, country of origin, and their intended destination in the U.S.

Olivarez posted photographs of several "special interest immigrants" who appeared to arrive with the group of children.

He wrote on X, "This morning, @TxDPS encountered a group of 211 illegal immigrants in Maverick County. Among the group were 60 unaccompanied children/minors ages 2 - 17 and 6 special interest immigrants from Mali & Angola."

"This is a stark example of the precarious journey these children make from their home country & how criminal organizations traffic these children across the southern border & further into the interior," Olivarez continued. "Regardless of political views, it is unacceptable for any child to be exposed to dangerous criminal trafficking networks."

He explained that "hundreds of thousands" of children have gone missing during their journeys to the U.S., noting that "no one [is] ensuring the safety & security of these children except for the men & women who are on the frontlines daily."

"Despite the criticism over the years, the reality is that many children are exploited & trafficked, never to be heard from again," he added.

Texas DPS has rescued more than 900 children as a part of Governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star, Olivarez said.

According to Customs and Border Protection data, more than 110,000 unaccompanied minors crossed the border in fiscal year 2024.

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Border authorities foil 'smuggling scheme,' find over 140 illegal migrants crammed inside 2 stash houses



The Texas Department of Public Safety and Customs and Border Protection announced on Monday that they recently discovered more than 140 illegal migrants packed inside two stash houses near El Paso.

According to CBP El Paso Sector Chief Anthony "Scott" Good, the agency's units and Texas DPS successfully "foiled a smuggling scheme" involving 51 migrants found inside one stash house.

"Subsequent interviews led to another stash house w/95 more migrants, totaling 146 migrants intercepted. That's over 130 stash houses this FY23YTD!" Good wrote on Twitter.

Pictures and videos shared on social media by CBP officials show a large group of migrants crammed inside an El Paso-area residence.

According to KRQE, the apprehended illegal migrants were from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

Some of the migrants were expelled under Title 42, and others were processed and apprehended under Title 8, according to the news outlet.

"The citizens in our local El Paso community provide an important partnership to help us safeguard our city. We encourage anyone with information to report suspicious activity to our office. That one phone call could help save many lives," Good stated.

DPS spokesperson Lt. Christopher Olivarez reported that one of the recent raids was conducted on Sunday after law enforcement received a tip about a potential stash house.

"A search of the home resulted in a total of 95 migrants, 74 males and 19 females, including 2 minors. All migrants were referred to Border Patrol and the manager was charged federally with Title 8 USC 1324 Harboring Illegal Aliens," he said.

Another stash house in El Paso was raided last week, which resulted in the apprehension of 23 illegal migrants from Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala, officials stated.

Officials suspect that Mexican drug cartels have intentionally spread false information online to encourage migrants near the Mexico-U.S. border to attempt to cross illegally.

In March, a large group of migrants stormed the southern border after they reported seeing a social media post that claimed those with extreme circumstances or with children would be allowed to enter the United States.

Last week, dozens of migrants threw their babies and small children over the river that separates Mexico from the U.S. after they heard online rumors that CBP was granting entry.

The false claims that circulated online caused thousands of migrants to rush to the U.S. border near El Paso, Texas.

Olivarez blamed the federal government's "disastrous border policies" for allowing Mexican drug cartels and smuggling organizations to turn "mass migration into a multibillion-dollar slave trade."

\u201cYsleta Station Anti-Smuggling Units foiled a smuggling scheme w/ @TxDPS involving 51 migrants located inside a local residence. Subsequent interviews led to another stash house w/95 more migrants, totaling 146 migrants intercepted. That\u2019s over 130 stash houses this FY23YTD! @CBP\u201d
— Anthony \u201cScott\u201d Good (@Anthony \u201cScott\u201d Good) 1680561032

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67 pounds of meth seized by Texas law enforcement



A traffic stop led to a seizure of 67 pounds of methamphetamine by Texas law enforcement just days after the announcement of a partnership between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Austin Police, according to Fox News.

Special agents from the Texas Department of Public Safety took control of the massive drug haul after the Austin Violent Crimes Task Force arrested two suspects, Wilfredo Tecum Rodriguez and Ludvid Aroldo Gonzalez-Lopez, after a traffic stop on March 30, 2023.

The stop revealed nearly 70 pounds of meth stored in 30 Ziploc bags.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated on Twitter that the "partnership between Austin Police and [Texas Department of Public Safety] is already making a difference. Public safety is priority #1 in Texas. Glad to work with the City of Austin to make our state’s capital safer."

\u201cThe partnership between Austin Police and @TxDPS is already making a difference. \n\nPublic safety is priority #1 in Texas. \n\nGlad to work with the City of Austin to make our state\u2019s capital safer.\u201d
— Greg Abbott (@Greg Abbott) 1680384763

According to an internal memo obtained by Fox News, a member of the Bloods gang and a member of the Texas Mexican Mafia were both arrested the same day. Law enforcement also seized other small quantities of illegal drugs, handing out 14 felonies and four misdemeanor arrests.

A series of budgeting and contract issues have plagued Austin's police department in the last few years after the city council cut the budget by around a third in 2020, only to refund the police the following year due to state laws.

Difficulties agreeing on a new contract between the city and the police union were also very public. The previous deal, which expired at the end of March 2023, was replaced by a one-year contract described as a last-minute negotiation by the city, shaved down from an original term of four years.

Despite this, the city council still voted to preserve policy pay and benefits, opting to increase police pay by 4% for all officers of lower ranks and giving signing bonuses up to $15,000 for new recruits.

The moves are credited to interim City Manager Jesus Garza, who appears keen to deal with a police shortage in the state's capital.

"We’ve moved quickly to address staffing issues — recruit new officers, retain experienced officers, and staff up in our 9-1-1 call centers," Garza said in a statement, adding that "those efforts take time, and we can’t wait to make sure Austinites feel safe."

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15-year-old human smuggling suspect leads Texas police on high-speed chase in car full of other illegal immigrants near US-Mexico border



A 15-year-old human smuggling suspect from Mexico led Texas police on a high-speed chase in a car full of other illegal immigrants near the U.S.-Mexico border Tuesday.

What happened?

The incident took place in Mission, a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman said. Mission is just west of McAllen on the border.

Trooper vehicle dashcam video caught the chase from beginning to end, some of it along U.S. Route 83 in Hidalgo County, the spokesman said.

The 15-year-old driver turned off a main road and attempted to evade police through a dirt road, the spokesman said. However, video shows the driver and seven other illegal immigrants bailing out of the vehicle along the dirt road and running toward brush; the clip also shows what appears to be another vehicle further in the distance down the dirt road — presumably another police vehicle — parked sideways and blocking passage.

Image source: Texas Department of Public Safety

Three occupants bailed out from the driver's side, and five occupants bailed out from the passenger side. All eight were apprehended, the spokesman said.

\u201c#RGV: A 15-year-old from Mexico led a @TxDPS Trooper on a high-speed chase in Mission. The driver & 7 illegal immigrants bailed out & ran - all were apprehended. The driver was charged w/ smuggling & evading. He was processed & booked into juvenile detention. #OperationLoneStar\u201d
— Chris Olivarez (@Chris Olivarez) 1676485577

The driver was charged with smuggling of persons and evading arrest, the spokesman said, adding that he was processed and booked into juvenile detention.

The other seven illegal immigrants were referred to U.S. Border Patrol, the spokesman said.

How are folks reacting?

A number of commenters on Twitter greeted the news with rather dark humor:

  • "Kid actually use[d] turn signal," one commenter quipped. "Might have a future with Uber or delivering pizzas in a few years."
  • "Could [have] planned that one better," another user mocked.
  • "Joe Biden, look at your accomplishments," another commenter declared.
  • "So now he gets 3 meals a day and air [conditioning]," another user noted.

Others were angry:

  • "It’s an adult crime; he should do adult time," another commenter wrote.
  • "Why blur the suspect’s face?" another user wondered. "He’s a Mexican national, and who knows his real age? Also he’ll be let out and be doing it again tomorrow."

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Incredible video shows police officers saving migrant woman stuffed in duffel bag from fiery car wreck



Stunning bodycam footage captured the moment a group of police officers dragged a migrant woman who had been stuffed in a duffel bag out of a burning vehicle.

The driver of the vehicle, according to reports, crashed while trying to evade police. The suspect now faces a variety of charges.

What are the details?

According to a report from the New York Post, the driver — an accused human smuggler identified as David Padilla Jr. — is said to have trapped the unnamed woman in a huge black duffel bag and placed her in the back seat of his Infiniti QX56.

He later crashed his vehicle near Laredo, Texas, while fleeing from officers.

The incident took place on March 24 after Padilla reportedly stopped at an immigration checkpoint, only to have a K-9 alert officers that there was something amiss inside the vehicle.

He fled from the checkpoint, prompting officers to give chase and eventually deploy strike strips, stopping Padilla's vehicle, which crashed into a barrier on the interstate and caught fire.

He attempted to flee on foot, but officers were able to apprehend him and take him into custody without incident.

At the time, he said to officers, "She is in the back. Get her out of there. Did they get her out?"

Bodycam footage captured the moment officers rushed to free the woman from her fiery tomb and pull out the duffel bag as the car became engulfed in smoke and fire. The officers then unzipped the bag and helped the woman to her feet.

Authorities arrested Padilla and charged him with transport, attempt to transport, and conspiring to transport the migrant woman.

In a statement on the incident, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety said, "Smugglers continue to expose those they are smuggling to dangerous and life-threatening conditions."

MUST WATCH: @TxDPS assisted #USBP with a vehicle pursuit that ended with the vehicle crashing & igniting on fire. The smuggler fled leaving behind a female immigrant trapped inside the vehicle. @TxDPSSouth Sgt Genaro Hinojosa sprung into action and broke the rear window. 1/2pic.twitter.com/3qOMwoKrGw
— TxDPS - South Texas Region (@TxDPS - South Texas Region) 1648688274

Border Patrol already seized more fentanyl in 2021 than all of 2020; 800% increase of deadly drug in April compared to last year, says Texas Gov. Abbott



United States Customs and Border Protection agents have already seized more fentanyl in fiscal year 2021 (which began in October) than all of fiscal year 2020, according to the CBP. This is the latest metric showing that the current border crisis not only has a surge in illegal immigrants, but also illegal and deadly drugs.

"So far in Fiscal Year 2021, fentanyl seizures have already surpassed those from all of Fiscal Year 2020, with 6,494 through April 2021 compared to 4,776 for all of Fiscal Year 2020," CBP said in a news release. CBP seized 2,801 pounds of synthetic fentanyl in 2019 and 2,283 pounds in 2018, according to the CBP website.

Interceptions of cocaine by Border Patrol agents were up 41% in April compared to March, and seizures of heroin skyrocketed 97% in the same time period.

Also in the recent CBP news release, the border agency stated that its agents encountered 178,622 persons attempting entry along the Southwest border in April, a 3% increase over March 2021.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is sounding the alarm regarding the alarming boom of fentanyl being trafficked across the U.S. southern border. The Republican governor revealed there had been a whopping 800% increase of fentanyl seizures at the border by the Texas Department of Public Safety this April compared to the same month last year.

"I gotta tell you, there's a new dynamic about what's going on at the border that Americans need to know about, and that is increased apprehension of fentanyl coming across the border," Abbott said during an interview with Fox News on May 14. "Yes, there may be people coming across, but there are dangerous drugs coming across the border.

"We have obtained enough fentanyl coming across the border to kill every single person in the state of New York," Abbott stated. "This is a very deadly situation happening on the border.

"The Biden administration had better wake up," Abbott said. "Because of what Texas is doing on the border, it's Texas that is securing the border. We want Biden to pay for it."

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 80 to 100 times more potent, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. "Two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person's body size, tolerance and past usage," the DEA states.

There were more than 81,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States in the 12 months ending in May 2020, the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I deployed @TxDPS & @TexasGuard to secure the border.They've apprehended over 30K migrants & 900 criminals.With… https://t.co/YC14t4SKFg

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) 1621029601.0

Gov. Greg Abbott demands Biden admin shut down San Antonio migrant facility after allegations surface of children being sexually abused



Texas Gov. Greg Abbott revealed there are "very credible allegations" of children being mistreated and sexually abused at a migrant facility in San Antonio. During a Wednesday press conference, Abbott called for the Biden administration to shut down the migrant facility at the Freeman Coliseum Expo Center in San Antonio and petitioned that the children be transferred to other federally run facilities.

"The Biden administration has caused this crisis and has repeatedly failed to address it," Abbott proclaimed. "The Biden administration opened borders. The administration failed to plan for the influx of children that they invited to come. Now they face allegations of despicable child abuse and neglect. This must end."

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services both received tips that migrant children were being abused at the Freeman Coliseum.

"Children at this facility are being sexually assaulted," Abbott claimed. "Second, there are not enough staff to safely supervise the children at this facility. Third, some children in this facility are not eating throughout the day. And fourth, children with COVID are not being physically separated from children without COVID."

"We don't know the total number of children abused," the Republican governor of Texas said.

"It is my understanding, the allegations come from more than one person who has been in this facility," Abbott said at the news conference outside of the Freeman Coliseum.

"To end this abuse, the Biden administration must immediately shut down this facility," Abbott declared. "The children who are in this facility should be moved to other federally run facilities where the federal government has the space, personnel, and resources to ensure their safety."

"The Biden administration has already said they have other locations across the entire country," Abbott said. "Certainly they must have locations that have better staff, better safety measures, and situations where children would not be subject to abuse like this."

"Thousands of children have already been sent to multiple locations across the state of Texas, and from every location that I've have heard about in the state of Texas the number of children far exceeds what is allowed by law," Abbott added.

"President Biden's disastrous decisions caused this crisis, and his administration must act now to protect these children, secure the border, and end this crisis," Abbott said in a press release.

Abbott has ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Rangers to open an "immediate" investigation into the accusations. The investigation will be headed by Richard Henderson, senior Texas Rangers lieutenant.

I'm asking @TxDPS & TX Rangers to investigate allegations of child abuse & neglect inside the Freeman Coliseum migr… https://t.co/M9NzYWidqN
— Greg Abbott (@Greg Abbott)1617838901.0

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg described the allegations as "disturbing if true" and called for a "thorough investigation."

A White House spokesperson responded to the allegations of maltreatment of illegal immigrants on Wednesday night.

"The Biden Administration takes the safety and well-being of children in its care very seriously," the White House statement reads. "Currently we see no basis for Governor Abbott's call to shut down the San Antonio Freeman Coliseum as an intake site, however, his claims will be looked into and investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services."

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said he was skeptical of the accusations.

"I've been out there, I've seen what's going on," Wolff told KENS. "They're getting three hot meals a day, they're getting two snacks a day. There's a separate tent where up to 300 of them are cohorted if they do have COVID."

"Health and Human Services (representatives) are out there, Homeland Security is out there, Federal Protective Services is out there. They've got … different agencies. CDC's out there," Wolff said. "I've not heard anything until the governor came down and said this. I just don't know if it's true or not, what he's saying."

The first 500 migrant boys arrived at the facility on March 29 from El Paso during the illegal immigration surge. The minors, ages 13 to 17 years old, received a medical screening, clothes, toiletries, and food, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. As of Wednesday, the Freeman facility was housing 1,645 minors, 283 of whom have tested positive for coronavirus and "remain in medical isolation," HHS officials told KENS.

Up to 2,100 migrant children could be housed at the Freeman Coliseum, Bexar County officials told KSAT-TV. Plus there are an additional 300 medical beds available at a separate facility.

Wolff said the minors would stay at the facility for five to nine days, but those who tested positive for COVID-9 would be housed for two weeks.

Last month, Abbott blasted the Biden administration for "unsafe" conditions at two other Texas migrant facilities. Abbott warned of "serious water issues" at the migrant housing facility in Midland and of a COVID-19 outbreak at the Carrizo Springs migrant facility.

"The Biden Administration has been an abject failure when it comes to ensuring the safety of unaccompanied minors who cross our border," Abbott slammed the administration's handling of the border crisis. "The conditions unaccompanied minors face in these federally run facilities is unacceptable and inhumane."

Gov. Abbott says state received allegations of mistreatment of migrant children at San Antonio tempo www.youtube.com