A routine Friday traffic stop outside Laredo turned into a border drama within minutes, authorities say, when a passenger in an SUV bolted toward the Rio Grande with an infant in her arms during a high-speed chase. Troopers arrested the woman after she returned to the U.S. side of the river, while the driver swam into Mexico and several migrants were found inside the vehicle, according to officials.
Traffic stop turned into a river chase
Around 4:17 p.m., a Texas DPS trooper attempted to stop a 2012 Ford Explorer on U.S. Highway 83, but the SUV fled through Rio Bravo and stopped near Centeno Lane by the river. The driver jumped into the Rio Grande and swam to Mexico, while the front passenger, 27-year-old Brenda Lee Castro, moved toward the water carrying a baby. Several other adults were found in the vehicle and referred to the U.S. Border Patrol.
The woman returned and was arrested
Castro returned to the U.S. riverbank under the direction of state and federal officers and was taken into custody. The infant was uninjured and placed in the care of authorities, News 4 San Antonio reported.
Charges and booking
Jail records reviewed by the Laredo Morning Times show Castro was booked into the Webb County Jail on felony human smuggling and child endangerment charges and is being held on a combined $130,000 bond. The paper reports that the migrants found in the vehicle were transferred to U.S. Border Patrol custody, while the driver remains under investigation.
Prosecutors ramp up smuggling enforcement
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Texas have pursued and secured convictions in a number of human smuggling cases in recent months, illustrating heightened regional enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. Local law enforcement officials say charging decisions in cases like this can involve both state and federal authorities, depending on investigative findings.
Dangerous crossings and what’s next
The driver who fled into the Rio Grande reached Mexico and remains at large, KGNS reports. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has previously warned that sections of the river have swift currents and hidden hazards, making crossings dangerous.
