U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered illegal aliens locked in a train car by smugglers for the fourth time in the last three weeks.
Uvalde Border Patrol Station agents searched a stationary autorack train car on Friday after a Border Patrol canine alerted. They discovered four illegal aliens trapped inside.
Smugglers had locked one Chinese national and three Mexican nationals in the car with no means of escape. Agents rescued the four and transported them to the Uvalde Station for processing.
Three other rescues at the same railroad siding have occurred in the last three weeks.
On August 30, agents rescued eight individuals locked in an autorack car, including a child.
A September 7 rescue involved the same rail siding and three people.
One individual was deceased when agents discovered two illegal aliens locked in a freight car on September 11.
“This is the work of criminal alien smugglers who have no regard for human life,” said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony “Scott” Good. “Doors on freight cars are locked externally, and migrants are trapped for an indefinite amount of time without food or water. No one should believe the lies of smugglers who say they can provide safety because they only care about the money they can gain by exploiting vulnerable people.”
Illegal border crossings can pose countless dangers for all involved, including drug and human trafficking, assaults, cartel activity, and extreme weather.
Under the Biden administration, these dangerous illegal border crossings happened more frequently.
The Center for Immigration Studies asked, “Why would migrants pay $7,000 or more to smugglers, travel hundreds to thousands of miles, and cross the barren desert or wildly unpredictable Rio Grande only to turn themselves in to agents on the U.S. side? Because they knew the odds were good that after they were processed, they’d be released.”
Under the Trump administration, illegal border crossings have reached a historic low not seen in 30 years.
The Center for Immigration Studies credited CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott’s strategies for the decline in illegal border crossings, noting his adherence to federal laws 235(b)(1)(B)(iii)(IV) and 235(b)(2)(A).
Scott’s strategy to detain and deport illegal aliens contrasts with the “catch and release” policy of the Biden administration. In September, the Trump administration reported 16 straight months of zero releases along the border.
The southwest border saw monthly apprehensions at 94 percent lower than the monthly average of the Biden administration. Apprehensions were 97 percent below the peak of the Biden administration in December 2023 and less than the number apprehended in five days in August 2024.
Dissuading illegal aliens from making the perilous journey over the border has been a goal of the Trump administration and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“DHS remains focused on enforcing our immigration laws, securing the border, and ensuring those who enter our country illegally are removed swiftly,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Thanks to the strong leadership of President Trump, we have the most secure border in history.”
“The Biden Administration allowed for the infiltration of illegal aliens and criminals into our country that led to an invasion-level border crisis,” stated Attorney General Ken Paxton. “President Trump is doing tremendous work to save our country and secure our border. My office successfully defended SB 4, which protects Texas’s right to arrest illegals, protect our citizens, and enforce immigration law.”
