2 US Citizens Charged With Alien Smuggling After Being Found With Unaccompanied Mexican Children

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said two U.S. citizens are facing charges for allegedly smuggling two Mexican children into the country.

Border Patrol agents at an immigration checkpoint on Highway 86 near Westmorland, Calif., on Tuesday stopped a silver SUV driven by an adult woman, with an adult woman passenger and two children, ages 10 and 12, sleeping in the backseat.

The driver initially claimed they were traveling from Arizona to California, but later allegedly admitted crossing into the U.S. at the San Luis Port of Entry in Arizona. Due to “discrepancies” in the driver’s story, the vehicle was referred for secondary inspection.

While reviewing the children’s documents, agents found the children’s names and photos did not match their identification cards. Agents also learned that the children were not related to the driver or passenger, both of whom are U.S. citizens, and that the driver did not know the children’s mother. The children were found to be unaccompanied minors from Mexico.

“And this, folks, is how the trafficking of children starts,” Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino of the El Centro Sector said in a statement. “Its almost unbearable to think about what heinous crimes await children who arent with their parents. The border environment has been rife with this type of activity over the past several years, however, the focus has now shifted, and heavy sentences await smugglers who hurt kids.”

Both the driver and the adult passenger were arrested and charged with alien smuggling. The vehicle was seized as evidence. CBP did not say what happened to the children.