East New Mexico News

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USBP) agents have reportedly thwarted two human smuggling attempts in the Las Cruces, NM area this week. El Paso sector border chief Anthony "Scott" Good also shared statistics for the fiscal year to date related to USBP agents’ activity concerning migrants and smuggling.

Good stated, "Las Cruces USBP Agents’ swift action stops 2 dangerous smuggling attempts, intercepting a total of 14 migrants inside a tractor-trailer & a stash house. Border security & targeting human smuggling is priority! FYTD2024: 7 Tractor-trailers & 132 stash houses w/1,465 migrants," in a post on X.

In collaboration with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and US Citizenship and Immigration Services, USBP agents have been actively removing individuals who cross the border without establishing a legal reason to remain in the U.S. From May 12, 2023 to Feb. 29, 2024, the Department of Human Services has removed or returned more than 593,000 individuals who entered the United States, many through the southwest border, according to the February 2024 monthly update from US Customs and Border Protection.

Screenshot of Anthony "Scott" Good's March 27 post | X

Troy A. Miller, senior officials performing the duties of the commissioner said in a CBP news release that "CBP continues to work with our foreign and domestic partners to enhance enforcement efforts: aggressively targeting unscrupulous human smugglers, and swiftly applying consequences against those who cross the border illegally and have no legal basis to remain in the United States. Despite the challenges we are facing along the southwest border, as well as the positive trends of increasing levels of trade and travel, CBP continues to surge enforcement to stop dangerous drugs from entering the country; our agents and officers interdicted 294% more methamphetamine, 164% more heroin, and 140% more cocaine in February than January. It is essential that we provide our personnel with the resources they need to continue to expand this critical work."

The US Customs and Border Protection began as the US Customs Service, which was established on July 31, 1789, according to the History of the US Customs and Border Protection website. The responsibility of immigration inspection was transferred when the Office of the Superintendent of Immigration was created on March 3, 1891.