EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector has issued a warning to rideshare drivers regarding manipulation by transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling.
Federal officials cautioned that drivers who accept suspicious fares risk severe physical danger and federal felony charges, as they say smugglers frequently exploit legitimate mobile applications to insulate themselves from law enforcement detection.
Criminal networks often use third-party accounts to coordinate passenger pickups in secluded desert areas, along highway shoulders near the border wall, or in commercial staging lots.
Border Patrol officials highlighted several key indicators of smuggling activity for drivers to monitor.
Red flags include:
Passengers wearing heavily soiled clothing
Groups attempting to exceed vehicle occupant limits
Rides booked through third-party account holders who are not present and passengers who appear visibly stressed or unaware of their location
Drivers who accept suspicious fares face potential detention and investigation at highway checkpoints.
Under federal law, individuals found participating in these networks face felony charges for alien smuggling and harboring, along with the potential forfeiture of their vehicles and assets.
El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Jesse D. Munoz has previously emphasized the risks imposed on rideshare workers by criminal organizations.
“Cartel criminal smugglers recklessly endanger the lives of rideshare drivers and passengers alike, treating legitimate drivers as disposable tools for their smuggling operations,” Munoz said. “When these trips are intercepted, drivers face immediate detention and asset forfeiture while federal agents investigate their level of involvement in the smuggling network.”
To minimize physical and legal risks, Border Patrol advises drivers who encounter suspicious requests to cancel the trip immediately and move to a secure area. Drivers are encouraged to log their routes using in-app security tools and report concerns directly through their rideshare platform.
Suspicious activity or suspected human smuggling can be reported anonymously to the U.S. Border Patrol by calling one-800-635-2509. In emergency situations, drivers should call 911 immediately.
ABC-7 reached out to Uber and Lyft, among other rideshare driver platforms, to learn how they work with their drivers to avoid any risks of being used for human smuggling attempts.
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