Texas Woman Attempts to Flee Authorities with Infant and Illegal Immigrants
A woman from Texas was apprehended after she was found with five undocumented immigrants in her vehicle. After being pursued by law enforcement, she swam across the Rio Grande into Mexico while holding her infant child, according to reports from authorities.
Brenda Castro, a U.S. citizen, was in a Ford Explorer driven by her husband, who is also an American, in Laredo when they were signaled to pull over by a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper. Instead of complying, they sped away. Dashcam footage from the DPS shows the SUV racing through residential neighborhoods and rural roads.
As the situation escalated into a high-speed chase, Mr. Castro exited the vehicle with their child and attempted to swim the river to reach Mexico. A spokesperson from DPS confirmed that Mr. Castro successfully swam across.
Authorities on the scene advised him to return to the U.S., and he was subsequently arrested. Meanwhile, during the tense moments in the river, law enforcement could be heard instructing Castro, in Spanish, to bring the child back to shore. Officers eventually managed to retrieve the child from the water.
When Mr. Castro was being taken into custody, an officer remarked, “I can’t believe you tried to run away with your baby. You both could have drowned.” The child was then placed under the care of authorities.
Officials later discovered five illegal immigrants in Mr. Castro’s vehicle, who were handed over to U.S. Border Patrol.
Brenda Castro faces charges related to human smuggling and endangering the welfare of a child.
