A migrant girl from El Salvadorjust two years old, was found alone on the border between the United States and Mexico, holding a piece of paper with a name and phone number, according to authorities from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) through social networks.
The discovery occurred on Sunday in the Maverick County, Texaswhere a group of more than 200 migrants, including 60 unaccompanied minors, were detained after crossing the border irregularly. Among them, the youngest, dressed in a bright pink jacket, attracted attention due to her young age and because she was traveling completely alone.
In a video released by the DPS, the girl answered an agent’s questions. When questioned about her destination, she said that she was looking for her parents: “With my mother and my father,” she stated. When asked about his location, he replied: “USA”.
The minor showed a small piece of yellow paper on which a name and telephone number were written. The authorities have not reported whether they have already managed to locate the girl’s parents or identify the person to whom the contact written on the paper corresponds.
Chris Olivarezlieutenant and spokesperson for the DPS, stated in social networks that the girl’s case was a clear example of the “precarious journey” that children make from their country of origin “and how criminal organizations traffic them across the southern border and into the interior.”
“Regardless of political opinions, it is unacceptable that a child is exposed to dangerous criminal trafficking networks,” Olivarez said in his publication. X (previously Twitter).
The spokesperson added that there are a “record number” of unaccompanied children and another “hundreds of thousands” who are missing, likewise, there is no one to guarantee their safety, except for “the men and women who are all on the front line.” the days.” Likewise, he commented that “many children” suffer from exploitation and trafficking “and nothing is ever heard from them again.”
“DPS has rescued more than 900 children during the Operation Lone Star of abandonment and human trafficking,” said Olivarez.
Along with the information about the discovery of the two-year-old girl, the DPS spokesperson shared a series of images and videos of unaccompanied minors, highlighting that of a Salvadoran infant who was heading to the state of Washington.
In the same clip, a group of unaccompanied minors of different ages can be seen, some from El Salvador, others from countries such as Guatemala and Honduras with destinations as varied as CaliforniaNorth Carolina, FloridaMinnesota, New York, Ohio, TexasVirginia and Wisconsin.
The youngest of all those interviewed in the videos shared by Olivarez was a 9-year-old boy who claimed to be from El Salvador and was looking to go to California.
On the other hand, the department agent attached a clip in which an exclusive line of underage women was interviewed. It was found that some came from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala and other countries, highlighting the discovery of a four-year-old girl and another seven-year-old girl.
According to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC), Operation Lone star was launched by the governor Greg Abott in March 2021 “to respond to an increase in illegal immigration.” In a statement from May of the same year, the official ordered DPS to “use available resources to enforce all applicable federal and state laws to prevent criminal activity along the border,” this included “illegal entry,” smuggling and human trafficking.
