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Border Patrol agents on Tuesday disrupted a human smuggling attempt at the Cameron County Airport in Los Fresnos.
The incident happened at approximately 5 p.m. day and resulted in the apprehension of eight people in the country illegally and the arrest of Virginia Vela-Salazar, a Mexican citizen born in 1982.
“Agents had been advised by the Air and Marine Operations Center of suspicious activity that took place at the airport in the prior weeks,” a criminal complaint stated. “During their surveillance agents spotted a female, later identified as Virginia Vela-Salazar, guiding eight subjects onto a fixed wing single engine aircraft.”
Agents then went to the plane and caught up with Vela as she was leaving the airport.
“Agents identified themselves as Border Patrol Agents and conducted immigration checks on the passengers of the aircraft and determined eight … passengers were present in the United States without legal documentation permitting them to enter or remain legally in the United States,” the complaint stated.
Meanwhile, agents arrested Vela outside of the airport.
She made a first appearance on Thursday in Brownsville federal court in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III, who ordered her held without bond pending further court proceedings.
