Border Patrol Finds Four Migrants Trapped in Water Tank in Texas

Border Patrol agents discovered four people hidden in a pickup truck. They were traveling inside a water tank in a rural area of Del Río, Texas. Agents had to use tools to free them.

How were the hidden migrants discovered?

On the night of September 14, 2026, CBP agents inspected a 2007 Ford F-150 pickup truck. The vehicle was traveling on a rural road near Del Río.

During the inspection, agents found a portable water tank in the truck bed. Inside that plastic container were four hidden people.

According to the agency’s description, the four were compressed in a very tight space. They had no way to open the tank from the inside.

Who were the people found inside the tank?

The four people were of Latin American origin. They were two Bolivian citizens, one Cuban, and one Colombian.

Agents from the Eagle Pass South Station of the Border Patrol made the discovery. However, neither CBP nor the DHS revealed the names or ages of the migrants.

How did agents manage to free them?

Opening a truck door was not enough to rescue them. The migrants were locked inside the tank with no way to exit on their own.

For this reason, agents used electric tools to cut the plastic container. This allowed them to create an opening and free the four trapped people.

The four refused to receive medical attention at the scene. They were then transported to the Uvalde South Station for immigration processing.

What happened to the truck driver?

Behind the wheel was a U.S. citizen just 19 years old. Following the discovery, he was turned over to the Homeland Security Investigations office (HSI).

According to CBP information, the young man faces a charge under Title 8, Section 1324 of the United States Code. That section is directly related to human trafficking.

What did the Border Patrol chief say?

Anthony «Scott» Good, chief of the Del Río Sector Highway Patrol, commented on the case. According to his explanation, transporting people in confined spaces represents a serious risk.

According to Good, the lack of an escape route increases the danger for those being transported this way. His statement highlights the severity of this type of discovery at the border.

What information has not been revealed about the case?

So far, CBP and the DHS have not specified how long the migrants remained inside the tank. The duration of the complete journey in the truck was also not detailed.

Therefore, several details about the exact conditions of the transport remain unconfirmed publicly. The investigation of the case continues to be handled by federal authorities.