Mexican national arrested after alleged trafficking victim texted clues to 911, police say
VENTURA, Calif. (TND) — California police announced Thursday they rescued a 17-year-old girl allegedly trafficked into the U.S. by a Mexican national after she texted clues to authorities.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office apprehended Gerardo Cruz, who purportedly helped traffic the girl from Mexico more than two months ago, and charged him with human trafficking, forcible rape, sexual penetration with force, lewd acts upon a child and luring.
The girl texted pleas for help to 911 one night last week and provided officers landmarks to identify where she was, according to the sheriff’s department. As she talked to the dispatcher, other officers purportedly coordinated with deputies conducting a search for the girl. The department located her after roughly 20 minutes in Casitas Springs, it said.
The arrest comes as Republican congressmembers have pointed to crimes perpetrated by migrants in making their case for closing the southern border. In April, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, introduced a resolution denouncing the Biden administration’s immigration policies. The resolution urged President Joe Biden to alter his strategy for addressing the southern border and mitigate perceived national security threats that have developed.
“Americans are fed up with President Biden’s broken immigration policies,” Rep. Gonzales said. “The people of my district see it firsthand every day—the border crisis is in our backyard.”Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has urged Congress to provide funding for the border, arguing lawmakers would be able to more effectively address its issues. Democratic senators have also asked their colleagues to fund border security measures, with Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., leading a letter requesting financial support from the Senate Appropriations Committee last week.
READ MORE | Armed migrant squatter who belongs to Venezuelan gang captured by feds
Pointing to trafficking’s effect on the drug trade, the senators stressed the importance of properly equipping border entry points.
“The proliferation of fentanyl and associated overdose deaths are being driven in part by trafficking activities at our border,” the lawmakers wrote. “It is imperative that officers at points of entry are equipped with sufficient resources to continue fighting against fentanyl while also managing the flow of lawful trade and travel.”
The senators also argued it is necessary to expand the ability of the U.S. to investigate traffickers, along with the illegal financial networks behind them.
Follow Ray Lewis on X for trending national news @rayjlewis or send a tip to rjlewis@sbgtv.com.
ncG1vNJzZmivmpawtcKNnKamZ56axLR7zZqroqeeYsSwvsudZqadqJ6worqMp5itoZ%2Bjrq15wKupnqukmrFurcWtnKtlkaG5prPEnWStqpGbs6qvyqKloGWmnrC1tcxmq56wpJqxbq%2FLrpysZaSkenp9kGanqKSZmLJuv8CyZK%2BdnqnCs62MnKaupqSueqSty6KdqKqenq5us8SrmKucn2Kws8HZZqqoraSdsrO6jJumq5yVp3qxu8uimqKdo2K1trnAp2StqpGbs6qvyqKloA%3D%3D