U.S. Customs and Border Protection have arrested a woman attempting to smuggle three children at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge.
On July 31, officers at the bridge encountered a 54-year-old female U.S. citizen in a 2014 Ford Taurus who presented U.S. birth certificates for three children.
The driver of the Taurus was referred for a secondary inspection, where officers discovered that while the birth certificates were genuine, they did not belong to the children in the vehicle.
Additionally, the children, a 12-year-old boy and two girls, ages 10 and 4, were Mexican citizens — not American.
“Our CBP officers shut down this would-be child smuggling attempt using their inspection skills and experience,” said Port Director Albert Flores, Laredo Port of Entry in a press release. “CBP remains committed to upholding our immigration laws and this apprehension perfectly illustrates that commitment.”
CBP officers arrested the woman for alleged violation of U.S. immigration law and seized the vehicle.
In 2019, the Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration began a pilot program to conduct DNA testing of minors at the border.
A trial run of the program found that out of 84 ostensible families that were DNA tested at the border, 16 were not biologically related. This means that 19 percent, or nearly one in five, children at the border are being brought by non-relatives.
The Biden administration canceled the contract for the testing to be implemented across the border.
Earlier this month, Texas Rep. Lance Gooden introduced the End Child Trafficking Now Act, which would require DNA testing to verify the familial relationship between an alien who presents at the southern border with a minor.
The congressman's office said in a press release, "This legislation will cut down on the practice of 'child recycling', where the same child is used to gain entry and sent back across the border to be used repeatedly. Under the Trump administration, Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) implemented a pilot program and the results were astounding: nearly one in five claims of kinship were proven fraudulent."
"Every child deserves protection, particularly those most vulnerable," Rep. Gooden said. "The exploitation of underage aliens by human traffickers is one of the most sickening results of the border crisis. This legislation will ensure that young children are no longer viewed as 'skip the line' tickets by cartel members."
This bill would make it a felony offense, with a mandated maximum 10-year penalty, for any individual to fabricate family ties or guardianship over a minor.
Congressman Gooden said, "With this bill, we send a clear message that we are committed to the safety and welfare of children, standing firm against any forms of exploitation."
