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On April 2, 2021, readers inquired about a picture shared on Facebook that purported to show smugglers running away from the U.S.-Mexico border fence after abandoning two young children. The image caption read: Surveillance captures human smugglers abandoning 5-year-old, 3-year-old at the border. This was a genuine image. The source of the screenshot was a video tweeted by El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez. The video was captured on March 30, 2021, in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The young siblings, identified as Ecuadorian girls, were dropped over a 14-foot (4.27 meters) border barrier. In a statement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that the potentially life-threatening situation occurred just west of Mt. Cristo Rey. I'm appalled by the way these smugglers viciously dropped innocent children from a 14-foot border barrier last night. If not for the vigilance of our Agents using mobile technology, these two tender-aged siblings would have been exposed to the harsh elements of desert environment for hours, said Chavez. We are currently working with our law enforcement partners in Mexico and attempting to identify these ruthless human smugglers so as to hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law. The Associated Press reported that the number of migrants attempting to cross over the border into the United States is at the highest level since March 2019. In sum, it's true that a picture making the rounds on Facebook showed two young children abandoned by smugglers at the border.
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