OAN’s Brooke Mallory
12:32 PM – Thursday, July 27, 2023
The Texas Department of Public Safety is now asking parents to monitor their children’s social media accounts after a 14-year-old was allegedly duped into assisting with the illegal smuggling of four people.
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According to Lt. Chris Olivarez, on Sunday, July 23rd, a 14-year-old driver who has subsequently been charged with human smuggling led troopers on a high-speed chase on U.S. 83 in Webb County, which is next to the U.S.-Mexico border.
During the chase, dashcam footage showed the unidentified adolescent coming to a halt and letting four individuals out of his car before they ran towards bushes on the side of a highway.
After the drop-off, the driver proceeded to elude authorities before he was finally apprehended with the help of a DPS aircraft, according to the agency.
Police footage shows the minor pulling over after being encircled by authorities on a small route in a residential area. He was then thrown out of the vehicle and onto the ground, where he was swiftly handcuffed.
According to the Texas DPS, the minor has now been charged with human smuggling. Authorities also captured the four illegal immigrants and referred them to border patrol personnel.
Following the incident, the Texas Department of Public Safety advised parents to watch their children’s social media use and “make them aware of the negative consequences of human smuggling.”
Criminal smuggling organizations reportedly use deceptive recruiting methods on social media platforms to “facilitate the smuggling of illegal immigrants from border communities to larger metropolitan areas within Texas to then be transported further into the country’s interior,” according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
In the report, there was no mention of how Texas officials came to the conclusion that the 14-year-old was bamboozled through social media into illegally smuggling humans. No quotes from the young man were given due to his age.
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