From Fox News: A Texas woman found with five illegal immigrants in her vehicle attempted to flee from authorities near the border by swimming across the Rio Grande into Mexico with an infant, officials said.
Brenda Castro, a U.S. citizen, was a passenger in a Ford Explorer being driven by her husband, also an American citizen, on Dec. 19 in the border city of Laredo when he refused to stop for Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers, the agency said.
Dashcam footage released by DPS shows the SUV traveling at a high speed along residential and rural roads.
Texas DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez posted a video of the wild chase, and wrote:
12/19/25, a driver of a Ford Explorer led @TxDPS Troopers on a high-speed pursuit in Laredo. The driver and passenger, both U.S. citizens, bailed out of the vehicle and attempted to swim across the Rio Grande into Mexico.
The passenger, identified as Brenda Castro of Laredo, jumped into the river with her infant child in an attempt to evade arrest. After being directed by state and federal law enforcement, Castro made it back to the U.S. and was arrested by Troopers. Her infant was placed under the care of law enforcement.
Troopers located five illegal immigrants inside the vehicle and referred them to the U.S. Border Patrol. The driver was able to abscond into Mexico.
DPS charged Castro with felony human smuggling and endangering a child.
An officer was later heard scolding Castro, saying, “I can’t believe you tried to run back with the baby. You both could have drowned.”
Fox News reported that Castro’s husband swam across the river and escaped into Mexico.
Five illegal aliens being transported in the vehicle were all apprehended and turned over to Border Patrol.
Human Smuggler Jumps Into Rio Grande With Infant to Evade Arrest
Webb County | Operation Lone Star
12/19/25, a driver of a Ford Explorer led @TxDPS Troopers on a high-speed pursuit in Laredo. The driver and passenger, both U.S. citizens, bailed out of the vehicle and attempted… pic.twitter.com/tMbLW5oYQs
— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) December 30, 2025
READ MORE from Fox News.
Brenda Castro tried to flee justice after a human smuggling bust—bailing from an SUV, clutching her infant, and jumping into the Rio Grande to swim toward Mexico. Human traffickers show total disregard for life, even the lives of their own children.
Read more:…
— Mark Bowron (@MarkBowron420) December 31, 2025
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