Border Patrol agents in Rio Grande City foiled a scheme last week where the local hospital was being used as a staging area for smuggling people into the country illegally.
The plot unraveled after concerned citizens reported to Border Patrol last Wednesday that a Chrysler 300 tried picking up people in the country illegally on the hospital’s premises, according to a criminal complaint.
“The concerned citizens indicated that a foot trail was being used to get onto the premises,” the complaint stated. “They also noted that smuggling events had been occurring there for the past two (2) weeks.”
On Thursday at around 5:55 a.m. a Border Patrol agent surveilling the area watched as several people emerged from the brush near the hospital and got into the blue Chrysler 300, which had its headlights off.
“The vehicle continued out toward the Emergency Room parking lot,” the complaint stated.
Minutes later, Border Patrol agents stopped the Chrysler and arrested its driver, Lazaro Barrera, after finding five people in the country illegally who were inside the vehicle, according to the complaint.
In a statement, Barrera said an unknown person offered him an undisclosed amount of money to pick the people up. He also disclosed that Rio Grande City police had previously arrested him for the same charges.
Barrera is charged with transporting people in the country illegally and is scheduled to make an initial appearance in McAllen federal court Tuesday in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis.
