EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A Mexican national man was recently arrested for attempting to enter the U.S. without inspection on a train via the Union Pacific Railway, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) El Paso Field Office is warning about the dangers of doing so.
CBP said that at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 6, anomalies were observed during a nonintrusive inspection via the vehicle and cargo inspection system on a northbound train.
A physical inspection led to the discovery and removal of one undocumented migrant concealed in a hollow space at the end of an empty hopper, CBP said.
CBP said the undocumented migrant was taken into custody, and records checks revealed that he had a prior immigration arrest and deportation. He was charged with illegal entry after removal.
“Attempting to enter the United States without inspection via a cargo train is not only illegal, but it is also very dangerous,” CBP El Paso Field Office assistant director for border security, Samuel Cleaves, said. “Aliens attempting to board moving trains sometimes slip and have limbs severed. As temperatures rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the risk of death from heat stroke or dehydration increases. Also, cargo can shift and injure or trap aliens. Finally, when discovered, the alien will face certain consequences for illegally entering the United States under Title 8 of the U.S. Code. It is not worth the risk.”
CBP said they apprehended 143 people attempting to enter the U.S. without inspection in FY2024. So far in FY2025, 43 people have been apprehended trying to make illegal entry on trains.
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