U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Big Bend Sector apprehended five people, including an alleged human smuggler serving as the group’s “foot guide,” during an enforcement operation near Sierra Blanca, according to the agency.
Border Patrol said agents were tracking a subject in the Sierra Blanca area when they located and apprehended the five individuals. The agency identified one of those taken into custody as the group’s guide, who authorities allege was leading the others after they entered the United States illegally.
Photos released by the Big Bend Sector show the five individuals seated on the ground alongside backpacks while a Border Patrol vehicle is parked nearby. An agent’s face was blurred in the released image.
In a social media post, Border Patrol praised the agents’ work, stating, “Great teamwork by Border Patrol Agents!” The agency also reiterated its enforcement message, adding, “If you illegally cross the border, we will catch you!”
Border Patrol did not immediately release the identities or nationalities of those apprehended, nor did it provide additional details about any potential criminal charges against the alleged smuggler or the disposition of the remaining individuals.
The Sierra Blanca Station is part of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Big Bend Sector, which covers a large portion of the Texas-Mexico border in West Texas and regularly conducts operations targeting illegal crossings and human smuggling organizations.
