DEL RIO, Texas — U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Del Rio Sector rescued eight individuals, including one child, after finding them locked inside a freight rail car near Knippa, according to a release from Customs and Border Protection.
On the afternoon of Aug. 30, agents assigned to the Uvalde Border Patrol Station were conducting train inspection duties on a rail siding when a Border Patrol canine alerted to a stationary autorack freight car carrying automobiles. Agents inspected the car and found eight people locked inside with no means of escape, according to CBP.
The group included three Mexican nationals, three Salvadorans, one Guatemalan, and one Chinese national. All eight were medically assessed and transported to the Uvalde Station for processing, according to the release.
Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony “Scott” Good said alien smugglers have no regard for those they prey upon, noting that temperatures in the area exceed 100 degrees daily. Good said that without the actions of trained agents, the situation could have ended tragically.
Border Patrol said confined spaces combined with extreme heat and limited access to water can quickly become life-threatening. The agency is urging anyone in distress while being transported in dangerous conditions to call 911 immediately.
