McAllen agents say they have rescued a three-year-old that was separated from her mother by smugglers. Agents say she was abandoned in the river.
The McAllen Station received information from Hidalgo Port of Entry Monday morning regarding possible illegal aliens underneath the bridge.
When Border Patrol agents arrived, they say they discovered a woman claiming that her three-year-old daughter was missing.
She stated that the smuggler crossed her into the US alone. Then, as the smuggler attempted to cross her daughter, she observed them both drifting down the river as she lost sight of them. She could not see if they had returned to Mexico or if her child drifted away by herself.
A news release stated the Harlingen Border Patrol Station riverine units and a National Guard helicopter deployed to the area in search of the child. Agents located the child walking on the river road and immediately checked the child for injuries before reuniting her with the mother, the news release continued.
Luckily, agents say the child was unharmed and not in need of medical assistance.
The Rio Grande Valley Sector currently has multiple campaigns focused on rescues and danger awareness, such as “Operation Big Rig” and “No Se Arriesgue” to combat smuggling and ultimately save lives. Call 911 to report suspicious activity; “They’re humans, not cargo!”
