Texas border officials arrest 14 illegal immigrants, including suspected smuggler, after high-speed chase
The driver, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was previously arrested in May during a suspected human smuggling incident, authorities said
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A suspected human smuggler previously arrested last year led Texas authorities on a high-speed chase Wednesday before 14 illegal immigrants were apprehended.
Troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety were following a Nissan Titan on Bentsen Palm Road in Mission, a border city close to Reynosa, Mexico, when the driver went into a residential neighborhood, according to dashcam footage of the chase.
At one point, the truck stops and a woman is seen getting out of the vehicle. DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez is seen getting out of the patrol car and moving the woman away before getting back in to continue the pursuit.
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The alleged driver in a human smuggling operation was captured Wednesday after allegedly bailing from a vehicle during a Texas police chase. (Texas Department of Public Safety)
The truck stops a short distance away at the end of a road and the driver fled, authorities said.
The U.S. Border Patrol assisted in the search for him and he was found by a USBP K-9 and arrested, Olivarez told Fox News Digital. He was previously arrested in May after being involved in a human smuggling operation that resulted in a crash, authorities said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The driver is a Mexican citizen and was in the United States illegally.
Authorities are seeing more human smugglers who are illegal immigrants, Olivarez said. Smuggling organizations use tactics to distract authorities such as using illegal immigrants to block law enforcement vehicles and bailing out from moving vehicles to allow smugglers to get away, he said.
Border officials have warned of an uptick in migrant encounters and movement at the southern border since President Biden took office.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Texas authorities and the U.S. Border Patrol arrested illegal immigrants Wednesday following a high-speed chase that ended in a residential area. (Texas Department of Public Safety)
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There were more than 2.3 million migrant encounters in fiscal year 2022 alone, topping the 1.7 million encountered in fiscal year 2021. During fiscal year 2023, which began in October, the first two months have outpaced the same period last year with 233,740 encounters in November, compared to 174,845 in 2021 and 73,994 in 2020.