Illegal Alien Smuggled Inside Dashboard of Car
Part 4: Analysis
|
||
|
||
Comments: I am deeply skeptical of the claim that when customs inspectors asked for the vehicle registration, "a hand came out of the glove compartment, producing the requested document." Dubious captions notwithstanding, the attached photos are authentic and date from 2001, according to the U.S. Customs Service. One of the images was published in the Sept. 2001 Customs Service newsletter over a caption reading, "A woman peering out from the automobile dashboard of a vehicle was discovered before the vehicle could cross the U.S.-Mexico border."
It's not uncommon, officials say, for smugglers to hide would-be illegal immigrants under dashboards, in hidden trunk compartments, and even inside hollowed-out gas tanks in an attempt to spirit them into the United States for cash. In another 2001 incident (also depicted in the newsletter), a 42-year-old man was found hiding inside a leather bucket seat occupied by another passenger when the vehicle crossed the border. Agents said they became suspicious when they saw what appeared to be an extra pair of legs jutting out from the seat.
Sources and further reading:
U.S. Customs Today - September 2001
"Bent out of shape... illegal aliens caught in desperate attempts to cross U.S. border"INS Officials Track Dangerous Rise in Migrants Hidden in Vehicles
North County Times (San Diego), 13 July 2001
Last updated: 02/04/03
