‘Carpet Walkers’ Entering US Illegally Attached Carpet To Shoes To Cover Tracks

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said officers recently arrested three people who affixed pieces of carpet to their shoes to avoid making tracks while attempting to enter the country illegally.

On Feb. 27, Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents responded to an alert from CBP Air and Marine Operations reporting three individuals walking on a local ranch. Agents responded to the ranch and, following “foot sign,” found the group.

A photo shared by CBP shows the the so-called “carpet walkers” with pieces of carpet attached to the bottoms of their shoes.

“Illegal aliens will go to great lengths to try to conceal their entry into the country,” Del Rio Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Milton Moreno said in a statement. “Our agents are trained in sign cutting methods that regularly foil these attempts.”

After the group was transported to the Carrizo Springs Border Patrol Station for processing, one of the individuals was found to have been previously deported in 2013. Refugio Juarez-Argote, 30, of Mexico, now faces a charge of reentry after deportation.