Border officers pry migrant out of hidden car compartment
by: Julian Resendiz
Posted: Aug 1, 2024 / 07:41 PM CDT
Updated: Aug 1, 2024 / 07:41 PM CDT
Mexican national ‘cramping up’ as California residents attempt to smuggle him through port of entry, CBP says
EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Two California residents are facing felony smuggling charges for allegedly trying to bring a Mexican national into the U.S. in the hidden compartment of a vehicle.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in California foiled the alleged smuggling attempt during a random check of vehicles on July 30.
Americans stopped at border with unconscious migrant in truck
Court records show a canine officer alerted his handler to suspicious cargo on a Volkswagen Tiguan at one of the port’s inspection lanes. The SUV was sent to a secondary inspection area where officers entered the vehicle and heard a male requesting assistance to get out from a hidden compartment under the third-row seat.
The man, later identified as Ricardo Tafoya Palomino, yelled that he was cramping up due to being tightly positioned in a small space. Records show CBP officers had to use a pry bar to open the compartment and get him out.
https://www.borderreport.com/regions...r-compartment/
