Migrant smugglers, 12 and 15, crash their stolen truck while evading Texas cops in high-speed chase
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: A teenager from San Antonio was apprehended when the stolen pickup truck two young boys were using to smuggle a migrant was involved in an accident on a Texas highway. The 15-year-old and 12-year-old boys were leading the cops on a high-speed highway pursuit when the vehicle they were driving crashed into an embankment in Frio County on February 1.
The pickup truck was being pursued on Interstate 35 when the 15-year-old driver took control of the vehicle and slipped due to the wet road, as captured by the police dashcam. The 12-year-old was reportedly a runaway, and video footage from the Texas Department of Public Safety showed a cop removing him from the truck.
READ MORE
Police pull the teenagers and migrant out of the pickup truck
As per Daily Mail, the pickup truck collided with the side of the wall, and the force of the contact sent it flying into the road's shoulder. In the video, the child pleads with a police officer for assistance and informs the officer that his teenage companion is locked in the pickup vehicle.
After being put down on the ground, he informs the officer that the undocumented male migrant had threatened to kill them if they did not give him a ride. The teen exits the pickup truck through the cabin's back door. Then the 12-year-old yells, "Help me please," to which the teen replied, "What happened b****?"
Three police officers removed the migrant via the front windshield a short while later. The person, whose name and country have been withheld, was taken by emergency vehicle to a nearby hospital where he received treatment for "incapacitating injuries." The young driver was detained and charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, human smuggling, avoiding arrest, and inflicting bodily injury. He was also accused of possessing drugs.
Cartels are recruiting teenagers at an increasing rate to smuggle migrants
Teenage smugglers are increasingly being recruited by cartels to transport illegal immigrants in exchange for money, and this case is only the latest instance involving them. According to officials, the youngsters are quick to accept the offers after being misinformed that they won't face charges if they are found because they are minors.
As per New York Post, a 13-year-old boy was detained in New Mexico last October after being caught driving an SUV loaded with 10 illegal immigrants. A 15-year-old girl was also charged with leading Texas officers on a high-speed chase in El Paso last August that resulted in a multi-vehicle accident while she was transporting migrants.