A Border Patrol agent was showing an ABC news crew a common path for human smugglers when they stumbled upon a smuggler actively dropping people off into the country on Tuesday afternoon.
“Look, there’s a smuggler.”@TomLlamasABC was embedded with a Customs and Border Protection agent when they discovered an alleged smuggler along the Mexico border in an inflatable raft on the Rio Grande. https://t.co/7zs5Pi7aIv pic.twitter.com/XywRuIiiIc
— ABC News (@ABC) June 26, 2018
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent Robert Rodriguez realized they came across a smuggler, yelled “Look, there’s a smuggler!” and chased after him.
They were on a small dirt trail along the northern bank of the Rio Grande near McAllen, Texas.
A suspected smuggler uses his arms to paddle a raft of immigrants across the Rio Grande in an illegal crossing of the Mexico-U.S. border near McAllen, Texas, U.S., May 9, 2018. REUTERS/Loren Elliott – RC180A119780
The smuggler was able to evade the border security agent by hopping back on his raft and paddling away from the shore.
“I cannot go into the river to apprehend him. As long as he goes back south, I’m alright,” agent Rodriguez stated.