LAREDO, TEXAS — In a win for United States border patrol, agents in Texas last Thursday busted alleged smugglers trying to get a dozen undocumented migrants into the United States using a vehicle painted to resemble an official border patrol SUV.

On December 10, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from the Laredo sector near the Texas-Mexico border uncovered an apparent people-smuggling operation that had modified a Chevrolet Tahoe to resemble an official vehicle. The cloned SUV, however, was missing the flashing lights used on Border Patrol Tahoes. It also kept the footbar and front bumper which actual Border Patrol vehicles do not use, as they are designed to go off-road.

Agents noticed the irregularities on the suspect vehicle and pulled it over. Inside they discovered a total of 12 people crammed into the back. The Tahoe had been stripped of all its back cabin seating.

Border Patrol told KRGV news the discovery is the first cloned Border Patrol unit discovered in recent memory in the Laredo sector. Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol told KRGV fake Halliburton and DHL vehicles were previously discovered transporting people and drugs.

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