Several illegal aliens were pulled out of a portable water tank after being smuggled across the southern border last week.
U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) just released details about the bust, which unfolded in South Texas on Sept. 14.
Del Rio Sector agents assigned to Eagle Pass South Border Patrol Station encountered a pickup truck while patrolling a rural road and initiated an inspection.
Agents used power tools to open a small plastic tank sitting in the back of the truck and found four illegal aliens hiding inside with no means of escape.
They were identified as two citizens of Bolivia, a Cuban national, and a Colombian.
The driver, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen, was arrested and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations to face charges for alien smuggling.
The illegals were taken into custody and processed for removal.
“Smugglers don’t care for the safety of those they see as mere human cargo,” said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony Good.
“Putting people in confined spaces with no means of escape is dangerous and barbaric. If not for the actions of our highly trained agents, this incident could have resulted in tragedy.”
The Trump administration just announced 16 consecutive months of zero releases at U.S. borders, despite continued attempts to penetrate the frontier.
“Sixteen straight months of zero releases at the border proves that President Trump’s policies are working,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
“Catch and release is over, consequences are back, and illegal crossings have fallen to historic lows. This is what a secure border looks like.”
