Crime & Safety

‘Holding Onto The Undercarriage, Atop Rail Cars', Dangerous Illegal Immigration Attempts On Trains Up 60%

"We cannot stress how dangerous of a practice this is and we encourage any considering this to not proceed with their plans."

April 27, 2021

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says almost every time officers in El Paso process an arriving freight train from Mexico, migrants are found attempting to use the railroad system to enter the country undetected.

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Migrants have been found riding on top of rail cars, in naturally occurring voids, holding onto the undercarriage, within brand new vehicles that are being shipped north and other locations on and within the rail cars.

“We cannot stress how dangerous of a practice this is and we encourage any considering this to not proceed with their plans,” said CBP Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha. “People are climbing on rail cars and hiding in places not designed to accommodate human beings. Fortunately we have yet to encounter anyone who has been maimed while attempting this but I am afraid that at some point we will.”

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