Border patrol agents say they saved a baby from possibly being trafficked through Southern California, nearly a week ago, and still have not found the infant’s family.
U.S. Customs Border Protection agents stopped a man driving a baby near San Clemente close to 2 a.m. Thursday. When they stopped the car, the driver claimed he didn't know the baby's name, or where he was taking the infant but he did say though, that he picked up the baby in Otay Mesa.
U.S. Border Patrol Spokesperson Eric Lavergne told NBC 7 the driver was being questioned and that the infant is in the custody of Child Protective Services.
“We don’t usually see children you know driving up the road at 2 a.m. with a random individual. We don’t see that often here in San Diego,” said Lavergne. “Children used to allow people to pose as family units, closer to the border. Where they will recycle a child."
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US-Mexico Border
Marisa Ugarte with the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition said there are several reasons children are trafficked.
"Was the baby in Otay already with the family? Was it a sale? Was it a false adoption? But the child did not have any documents. It could have been kidnapped,” said Ugarte.
The non-profit, according to its website, has worked on more than 10,000 human trafficking victim referrals in San Diego County. Ugarte said the length of the U.S.-Mexico border can provide opportunities for organized crime in Tijuana, Mexicali and other places. Those crimes include selling kidnapped children, illegal adoptions and more.
"Children are also an asset in many, many ways. So creating false paperwork or selling a child because you’re starving to death and you have eight others?” said Ugarte.
Days later, with no parents or legal guardians found, the next steps are up to Homeland Security.
"Who he is? What connections he has to this child? If he’s not a relative we want to figure out how did he get this child? Whose child is it? How did he pick up this child in Otay Mesa? Who gave him this child?" said Lavergne.
Ugarte said it’s likely the child will remain in the United States and if nobody comes forward to claim he or she, adoption may be an option in the future.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the driver has a green card but did not provide any other information about possible charges he could face.
