Woman arrested for trying to smuggle children via Hidalgo bridge

Hidalgo Port of Entry (Courtesy: CBP)

A woman was arrested Friday after trying to illegally cross two Mexican children she claimed were U.S. citizens through the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge, according to a federal complaint.

Elizabeth Gonzalez, a U.S. citizen, crossed through the Hidalgo port of entry on Friday with two children in her vehicle, an 8-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy.

Gonzalez claimed they were her neighbors’ children who were visiting relatives in Reynosa, but she was driving them back home to their parents in Arkansas, the complaint stated.

A U.S. Social Security card and a Mexican birth certificate listing Louisiana as the place of birth was presented for the girl. Gonzalez also produced a Social Security card and a State of Arkansas birth certificate for the boy.

Upon further questioning, the children gave different names than those used in the documentation Gonzalez presented. Confronted with that information, Gonzalez admitted the documents she used did not belong to the children and that the boy and girl were not related to each other.

Gonzalez claimed the children’s parents propositioned the smuggling and she agreed to be paid $1,000 if they reached their destination in Little Rock, Arkansas where their parents were waiting.

The children were flown from Veracruz to Reynosa by the boy’s aunt, according to the complaint. Then, Gonzalez picked up the children from her parents’ home in Reynosa and planned to take them to their parents.

Gonzalez was arrested and charged with smuggling on Friday. On Monday, she made an initial appearance before a federal judge.

Gonzalez was scheduled to go before a judge again on Tuesday for a detention hearing.