Texas sheriff says underage teens are being used in human smuggling operations

"An over-the-weekend traffic stop in Kinney County is bringing fresh attention to a growing facet of human smuggling — the use of underage people to act as drivers and organizers," the office wrote in a press release.

They said that these cartels recruit underage boys and girls, telling them that they will not suffer any real penalties if they participate in the illegal activities undertaken by the groups.

"This is frequently the case, as the US Justice Departments tends not to prosecute minors," the office wrote. "When the 'niños de circuito' turn 18, the Cartels usually pressure them to transition to more dangerous work, like working as hitmen or drug smugglers and replace them with other children."

The latest instance of this occurred over the weekend on ranch Road 3008.

"A deputy was responding to another incident, that saw DPS blockade all traffic temporarily. While moving to assist with the original call, he spotted another vehicle with a load of what appeared to be illegal aliens," the press release stated.

The Sheriff's Office said that the vehicle had around half a dozen illegal aliens crammed inside the truck, mostly from Mexico.

The driver was reportedly a 61-year-old Columian man with a 14-year-old boy sitting next to him in the front seat, who was originally from Mexico but now resides in the Auction area.

"It turns outlet he Columbian man was a subcontractor and driver — and the 14 year old was the shot-caller with the connections," the press release stated. "The Columbian man told authorities that he'd met the boy on a couple of occasions in an Austin Laundromat, and at some point told him about how he was having health problems and that money was tight."

The driver said the boy offered him $5,000 to make the trip with him.

The group was turned over to the US Border Patrol, who confirmed the allegations placed forth by the Columbian driver about who was in charge.

"Sometimes the Department of Justice will return underage smugglers to other border cities far away from their comes, as a way to try to inconvenience them. A Matamoros smuggler might be sent to Juaraz, for example," the press release said.

"It's too soon to tell what exactly will happen to the 14-year-old in this case," the office concluded.