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Border Patrol agents concerned as migrant groups hop on trains to travel north

The Border Patrol captured a dozen migrants on a train near the Javier Vega checkpoint. They're concerned more may try the same thing.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Border patrol officials say after they captured a dozen migrants aboard a northbound train, it gave them cause for concern that other groups may try to take the dangerous trip as well. 

3NEWS spoke with the Kingsville border patrol agent in charge about the situation, one which even our local law enforcement are continuing to have to deal with on a regular basis.

"This number of migrants in a train we hadn’t seen in several years which tells us that the smugglers are taking advantage of that right?" said Elizabeth Almanza, acting patrol agent In charge of the Kingsville Station for Border Patrol.

3NEWS spoke with her along a set of railroad tracks next to the Vega checkpoint. It was at that exact spot on Oct. 15, that 12 migrants were found aboard a train. They were covered by a tarp and lying in a pile of scrap metal. 

"Those migrants are not looking to give up. Those migrants are looking to go around to continue the trip north, so they obviously won’t be arrested and returned to their country," she said.

Antonio Aguilar, with the Nueces County Precinct 5 Constable office, told 3NEWS that over the past year they have continually been called out to help search for migrants on trains moving through the area. Searches that often come up short.

"On one incident they did manage to make it out of the train and they called a Lyft to come and pick them up," he said.

Aguilar adds that it doesn’t matter whether it’s during the day or at night, officers are having to be taken off patrol in order to tackle the issue at hand.

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