Smugglers Drop Migrant Children From Atop 14-Foot U.S.-Mexico Border Barrier
The United States Border Patrol released on Wednesday a horrifying video of smugglers dropping a 5-year-old girl and a 3-year old girl at a 14 feet high border barrier, abandoning the migrant children in the New Mexico desert in the middle of the night.
The Horrifying Video
Gloria Chavez, the El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent, said she released the video after seeing two smugglers in one of their surveillance footages, who scaled and dropped each child onto the ground, directly on the harsh surface. Afterward, the smugglers tossed what appears to be the belongings of both children. The two smugglers can then be seen running away from the southern side of the fence.
According to Fox News, the El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Chavez said that she was shocked about the way smugglers viciously dropped innocent children from a 14-foot border barrier. Chavez also shared that it is an advantage for them as their agents are using mobile technology. That is why they were able to detect the two girls right away because if not, the two little girls would be exposed longer to the dangers in the desert environment.
Chavez posted the video on her Twitter account and shared that the girls were spotted by their surveillance technology:
Moreover, the El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent also mentioned that they are currently working with their partners at the Mexican law enforcement to investigate the case further. She also added that they will attempt to get the identifications of the human smugglers, as they should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
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Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has been struggling with the issue due to the surge of unaccompanied children at the border. Based on the latest health protocols, known as the Title 42 health protections, single adults and families of migrants can be expelled. However, unaccompanied children were not included in the expulsion, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported.
Due to the rise in numbers of unaccompanied children at the border in the past weeks, the Biden administration will be opening centers that will serve as housing for them. As of writing, the Health and Human Services has more than 11,000 in their custody, while the Customs and Border Protection has more than 5,000 migrant children.
Honduran, 4, Travelling Alone
A four-year-old Honduran boy was found traveling alone by the Mexican authorities close to the Rio Grande River, which separates Mexico from the United States. Authorities also mentioned that no one claimed the boy when nearby individuals in the area were asked.
Based on the National Migration Institute of Mexico, the four-year-old Honduran boy was found unaccompanied in the trees and thickets while walking towards the border. The institute also mentioned that the boy was close to Reynosa at the time of the interception, a city in Mexico that sits across McAllen, Texas, U.S. News reported.
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WATCH: Caught on video: Young children dropped by smugglers over Santa Teresa border wall in the desert - from KVIA ABC-7