A suspected migrant smuggler lost his life attempting to escape from a sheriff’s deputy in Zavala County, Texas, after crashing the vehicle he was driving during a high-speed pursuit. The suspected smuggler fled from law enforcement authorities late Sunday evening after being spotted in La Pryor, Texas, driving a brown Chevrolet pickup truck sporting Louisianna license plates.
The suspected human smuggler exited the highway and crashed the vehicle into a tree, killing himself instantly and severely injuring two migrants. According to a report reviewed by Breitbart Texas, a deputy working under the auspices of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star first spotted the vehicle at 9:42 p.m.
Suspected Migrant Smuggler Killed in Crash During Police Pursuit in Texas (Texas Law Enforcement Source)
The deputy attempted to stop and identify the vehicle’s occupants after observing a traffic violation. According to the deputy, the driver of the vehicle refused to yield to the emergency lights and led the deputy on a pursuit on U.S. Highway 57 at speeds nearing 80 miles per hour.
After veering off the highway onto a privately owned ranch, the vehicle struck a large tree. During a search of the vehicle, the deputy discovered the driver had been killed in the crash. Four migrants were located near the accident scene, according to the deputy. Two of the migrants were severely injured and were taken to a hospital via a life-flight air ambulance. An unknown number of suspected migrants fled the accident scene and were able to escape apprehension.
A local Justice of the Peace was summoned and declared the unidentified driver and suspected migrant smuggler dead at the scene. The accident is currently under investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred more than 50 miles from the border city of Eagle Pass, Texas, along a corridor notoriously used by migrant smugglers. Breitbart Texas spoke with Chief Deputy Sheriff Ricardo Rios, who says despite some slowing down of migrant traffic in the area in recent months, smugglers continue using isolated two-lane highways in Zavala County to leave the border region.
“We are still dealing with the dangers involved in migrant smuggling on our highways on an almost daily basis,” Rios told Breitbart Texas. “Our deputies work tirelessly to keep the roadways as safe as possible for our residents.”
A crash involving migrant smuggling killed eight people in Zavala County in November 2023, when a suspected migrant smuggler and five migrants were killed after the vehicle they were using to flee from law enforcement officers collided with a vehicle carrying two innocent motorists from the state of Georgia. The two motorists from Georgia also lost their lives in that event.
According to a Customs and Border Protection source, migrants being smuggled on Texas border highways by the cartels are those who realize they face immediate expulsion and will not be released into the United States to pursue asylum claims.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The graphic photos in this article are meant to illustrate the extreme dangers involved in human smuggling. It also reveals what law enforcement officers and first responders are forced to deal with in these incidents.
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