Authorities reported that federal agents successfully rescued an infant and a 4-year-old girl who had been separated from their parents by human smugglers.
On Thursday, Nov. 7, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso were alerted to a situation involving a girl who had been separated from her mother by smugglers prior to their unlawful entry into the United States, according to HSI officials.
Authorities looking into the case of the missing girl discovered a baby boy who had also been separated from his family.
Agents were alerted to a situation involving a minor being transported from El Paso to Las Cruces, New Mexico, according to a complaint affidavit.
Agents captured two videos from inside the vehicle that recorded the smuggling activity.
A vehicle was seen driving past a sign indicating a rest area in New Mexico. The document reveals an image of the back seat of the car featuring a young girl alongside an infant, according to the affidavit. The young girl sat straight in the rear seat of the vehicle. She was unrestrained in the vehicle. The baby is observed resting on the seat, without being secured in a car seat.
The follow-up video captured the moment the driver navigated the intersection of Interstate 10 and Interstate 25 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The footage captures the young girl and the baby inside the smuggler’s vehicle.
Law enforcement agencies in Las Cruces were alerted by HSI agents regarding the vehicle and the children who are unaccounted for. On Friday, Nov. 8, at approximately 5:20 p.m., agents from the Border Patrol performed a traffic stop for an immigration check on a Chevrolet Malibu traveling on I-25 north of Las Cruces, according to the affidavit.
Agents from the Border Patrol discovered two women, including 26-year-old Jenneyra Escamilla-Juarez, along with another unnamed woman, inside the vehicle with the children. Authorities inquired with the women about their connection to the two children. The affidavit indicates that both individuals claimed they had no relation to the children.
Agents shared images of the children with HSI agents, who verified that they matched the two children featured in the videos. Authorities transported Escamilla-Juarez, along with another woman and two children, to the Las Cruces Border Patrol Station for interviews and processing.
According to the affidavit, Escamilla-Juarez informed agents that she was receiving $600 for transporting the children from El Paso to Albuquerque, New Mexico. She stated that her actions were driven by financial necessity.
She acknowledged that this was her initial experience with migrant smuggling, although she had earlier been involved with a smuggling group in a lookout capacity, according to the affidavit.
The agents inquired of Escamilla-Juarez regarding the absence of car seats for the children. According to the affidavit, she stated that she did not possess any car seats to utilize.
Escamilla-Juarez informed agents that she collected the children on November 6 from an unidentified person in the Fox Plaza region of South Central El Paso. The affidavit reveals that she kept the children at her residence until it was time to move them.
Authorities took Escamilla-Juarez, a U.S. citizen, into custody on allegations of human smuggling. She remains in custody at El Paso County Jail without the option for bond. A detention hearing is set for her on Friday, Nov. 15, according to court records.
A young girl was illegally transported through a port of entry in the El Paso region. Border Patrol agents discovered the mother following her unlawful entry into the United States. On Friday, Nov. 8, she had a heartfelt reunion with her mother.