HSI El Paso, Border Patrol rescues 4-year-old girl, baby from smugglers
EL PASO, Texas ( KTSM ) — Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso and U.S. Border Patrol agents rescued a 4-year-old girl from Guatemala and a baby who were separated from their parents by smugglers, according to the HSI in a news release on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
On Nov. 7, HSI agents received information that a transnational criminal organization had separated a mother from her child before they were smuggled separately into the U.S.
The 4-year-old girl was smuggled through one of the area ports of entry and Border Patrol agents encountered the mother after she entered the country illegally, according to HSI.
A possible location for the girl was found through an investigation with the HSI and Border Patrol agents stopped a vehicle she was in, that was near the Las Cruces Border Patrol checkpoint on I-25, HSI said.
Border Patrol agents also discovered a 6-weeks-old baby in the vehicle and HSI El Paso is working with the Mexican Consulate to locate his parents, HSI said.
The mother and the girl were reunited on Nov. 8.
Authorities have apprehended the alleged smuggler, Jenneyra Escamilla-Juarez, 26, and charged her with human smuggling, HSI said.
According to the HSI, Escamilla-Juarez, who is a legal U.S. resident, was initialed in federal court on Tuesday, Nov. 12 and remains in custody. Her preliminary and detention hearing is set for Friday, Nov. 15.
"Two innocent children are out of harm's way today because of the swift joint effort among HSI and our law enforcement partners without which this story could have had a much different, and possibly, tragic ending," Special Agent in charge of HSI El Paso Jason T. Stevens said. "Human smugglers put the lives of migrants in peril for the sake of greed, and this case is a stark reminder of the inherent dangers of the journey of people who entrust their lives and those of their loved ones to them."
"We are relieved and overjoyed after the successful rescue of a missing child who was separated from her mother during an illegal smuggling attempt into the country," El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent A. Scott Good said. "Our dedicated agents and HSI law enforcement partners worked tirelessly to locate the infant and reunite her with her mother. This reunification is a powerful reminder of the importance to protect vulnerable individuals from smugglers exploitation, as we remain committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our border communities."
HSI Ciudad Juarez and the Texas Department of Public Safety assisted with the investigation, according to HSI.
