El Paso Sector Border Patrol agents continue to apprehend large numbers of migrants from countries other than Mexico. Last week, agents in New Mexico encountered people from China, Cuba, Ecuador, and other Central American nations.

During the past week, El Paso Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Las Cruces. Lordsburg and Santa Teresa Stations disrupted several human smuggling attempts. The enforcement actions led to the arrest of migrants illegally in the country from China, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico, according to information obtained from El Paso Sector Border Patrol officials. The New Mexico border with Mexico falls under the El Paso Sector’s area of responsibility.

Agents assigned to the Lordsburg and Las Cruces Stations disrupted two human smuggling attempts on the morning of September 25, information released Tuesday evening revealed. Lordsburg Station agents attempted to stop a Buick Sentry with Arizona license plates. The driver refused to stop and led agents on a 10-mile pursuit before finally stopping, officials stated. During a preliminary investigation, the agents learned the driver is a U.S. citizen, but his four passengers are Mexican nationals illegally present in the U.S. The agents arrested all five and turned them over to ICE Homeland Security Investigations for possible human smuggling and immigration violations.

Later that morning, Las Cruces station agents assigned to the Highway 185 Immigration Checkpoint north of Las Cruces interviewed the driver of a BMW sedan. The driver had four passengers in this vehicle. Utilizing his “training, experience, and interview skills,” the agent determined the driver and one passenger are U.S. citizens. However, the two remaining passengers were illegal aliens — one from Cuba and one from Mexico, officials said.

That evening, Santa Teresa Station agents received information about multiple migrants climbing over border fencing located in Sunland Park, New Mexico. Agents responded to the scene and utilized “tried and true” tracking techniques to locate and apprehend five people who were attempting to avoid detection, officials stated.

The agents conducted an immigration interview and determined all five to be Chinese nationals who had just illegally crossed the border.

The following morning, agents assigned to the Highway 54 immigration checkpoint observed a Chevy Silverado approaching for inspection. The agents cleared the truck but then received information about a human smuggling attempt involving a truck matching the one that had just cleared the checkpoint. Agents followed the pickup truck which led them to other vehicles carrying a total of ten illegal aliens. Agents determined these migrants came to the U.S. from Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico.

These enforcement actions are enabled by the reduction of migrant family border crossings in the sector. Border Patrol officials moved resources that had been tied up with the transportation, care, and processing of thousands of migrant families back to their primary border security mission. The re-opening of checkpoints and resumption of interior region patrols led to the interdictions of these smuggling attempts.

“Incidents such as those detailed here, are a great example of the outstanding work the men and women of U.S. Border Patrol do each and every day,” said Interim El Paso Sector Chief Gloria Chavez. “Through community engagement we further strengthen our border communities and make them safer every day.”

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for the Breitbart Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Face book.