The Texas Department of Public Safety is warning parents to keep an eye on their children’s social media accounts after a teenager was allegedly deceived into assisting in the smuggling of four illegal immigrants.
On Sunday, July 23, a 14-year-old driver, who has since been charged with human smuggling, led troopers on a high-speed chase on U.S. 83 in Webb County, which is adjacent to the U.S.-Mexico border, according to Lt. Chris Olivarez.
During the chase, the unidentified teenage boy can be seen in dashcam footage screeching to a halt to allow four people out of the vehicle toward the bushes on the side of the highway.
The driver continued to evade police after the drop-off. With the assistance of DPS aircraft and Ohio State Police, he was eventually arrested without incident, the agency said.
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The Texas Department of Public Safety conducted a high-speed chase to pursue a 14-year-old who was allegedly smuggling migrants into the U.S. (Texas Department of Public Safety)
The video shows the teen stop the car after being surrounded by law enforcement on a narrow road that appears to be in a neighborhood. He is then forced out of the car and onto the ground before handcuffs are placed on him.
Texas DPS said that he has been charged with human smuggling. The four illegal immigrants were also apprehended by authorities and referred to border patrol agents.
Four illegal immigrants were apprehended by Texas Department of Public Safety following the chase in Webb County. (Texas Department of Public Safety)
Following the incident, Texas DPS encouraged parents to monitor children’s social media activity and “make them aware of the detrimental consequences of human smuggling.”
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Texas Department of Public Safety eventually surrounded the teen’s SUV and arrested him without incident. (Texas Department of Public Safety)
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Criminal smuggling organizations target juveniles through deceptive recruiting methods on social media platforms to “facilitate the smuggling of illegal immigrants from border communities to larger metropolitan areas within Texas to then be transported further into the country’s interior,” Texas DPS told Fox News Digital in a statement.