Border patrol agents found a 2-month-old baby abandoned at the U.S.-Mexico border this week, according to Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez.
In a post shared on X, previously known as Twitter, Chaves said Rio Grand City Border Patrol agents discovered the infant at the Texas border and included a blurred image of the baby boy.
"This is a chilling reminder of how children are exploited by human traffickers and criminal organizations every day," Chavez added.
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The incident comes amid a growing crisis at the border as a record number of migrant children are making the perilous journey through Latin America to reach the U.S., according to the U.N. children's agency. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded over 149,000 children crossing in the fiscal year 2021, more than 155,000 in fiscal year 2022, and over 83,000 in the first eight months of fiscal year 2023, UNICEF said.
This is not the first time that a minor has been found alone at the border. On Aug. 23, two young siblings — a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy — were found abandoned in Rio Grande City. They reportedly came from Chiapas, Mexico, and were left to fend for themselves near the Rio Grande River, in the Eagle Pass area.
Days earlier, two brother from Honduras, aged 12 and 4, were also found near the Rio Grande. They told authorities they were abandoned by migrant smugglers.
