Border Patrol agents at the San Clemente checkpoint rescued a child whom they believe was a victim of human trafficking, agents announced Wednesday.
At around 1:40 p.m. Friday, agents became suspicious of a vehicle with a male driver and an infant, and referred the car to secondary inspection, U.S. Border Patrol said in a statement.
“The driver said he picked up the infant in Otay Mesa and did not know the child’s name or where he was taking the child,” agents said.
Otay Mesa is a primarily commercial and industrial area in San Diego just north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Child Protective Services took custody of the child and the case was turned over to the Department of Homeland Security. As of Thursday, it was unknown if authorities had identified the child or made contact with the family, Border Patrol spokesperson Eric Lavergne told KTLA.
Lavergne described this case as “atypical” for the San Clemente checkpoint.
The driver was booked into the Metropolitan Corrections Center in San Diego.
“Due to the vigilance of our agents, we were able to prevent this child from being trafficked and potentially exploited,” said San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Aaron M. Heitke.
To report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol, contact San Diego Sector at (619) 498-9900.