Border Patrol agents in Texas "prevented a tragedy" after stopping a wrong-way driver that was smuggling four migrants on a highway north of Laredo on Wednesday, officials said.
Agents in the Laredo Sector spotted the vehicle driving north in the southbound lane of I-35, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a news release.
"The driver attempted to drive through the median to enter the correct lane, but the guardrail wiring prevented the driver from doing so," the agency said.
As the agents closed in on the vehicle, the driver stopped and jumped out. The driver escaped from law enforcement and no arrests have been made.
BORDER PATROL AGENTS RESCUE 13 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LOCKED IN U-HAUL TRUCK WITHOUT OXYGEN
Agents discovered four people inside the vehicle, all of whom were in the country illegally. Investigators determined the individuals were all from Mexico.
It’s the latest incident of migrants being found in potentially deadly conditions as they are smuggled into the U.S.
Last week, agents also rescued two smuggled migrants who had been abandoned by their smugglers. Both were suffering from dehydration and were transported to a local hospital for treatment.
So far this fiscal year, Border Patrol agents have made 20,464 rescues, compared to 12,833 last year.
Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
