Border Patrol Warns of Rideshare Human Smuggling Risks in El Paso
Border Patrol said smugglers are using rideshare apps to move migrants, and drivers who accept suspicious fares can be detained and investigated.
- Border Patrol's Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Jesse Munoz is warning rideshare drivers to remain alert for signs they may be recruited into human smuggling operations orchestrated by transnational criminal organizations using legitimate mobile apps.
- Smugglers are using rideshare apps "to insulate themselves from law enforcement" by booking pickups in secluded desert locations, remote highway shoulders, or commercial staging lots near the Rio Grande River.
- Border Patrol officials advise drivers to recognize warning signs including passengers with heavily soiled clothing, groups exceeding vehicle capacity, and third-party bookings where the account holder is absent.
- Those who unknowingly transport individuals involved in smuggling face immediate detention and asset forfeiture during investigation, while convicted smugglers face up to 10 years in prison per State smuggling charge.
- Paso remains a focus of law enforcement targeting Cartel crime, as the Bario Azteca and Sinaloa Cartel continue warring for smuggling control near Ciudad and Mexico.
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45 Articles
Border Patrol El Paso Sector alerts rideshare drivers to smuggling dangers
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector is warning rideshare drivers about the risks of being involved in human smuggling by transnational criminal organizations. According to USBP, human smugglers use legitimate mobile apps to arrange pickups in secluded locations, and drivers who accept suspicious fares may face detention, investigation, and felony
Border Patrol warns of rideshare human smuggling risks in Texas city
U.S. Border Patrol in far west Texas is warning rideshare drivers about human smugglers using rideshare apps to organize illegal smuggling activity. In the U.S. Custom and Border Protection Sector of El Paso, which includes two west Texas counties and all of New Mexico, Border Patrol agents are warning rideshare drivers about the severe legal...
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