Smuggled children get sedated while crossing border

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - In September, El Centro Sector Border Patrol had two cases where smugglers tried to illegally cross children into the united states by sedating them.

El Centro Sector Border Patrol says there have been five cases where children were sedated before being smuggles into the U.S in 2024.

“In the past two weeks we have seen two separate incidents of children being trafficked," said a Border Patrol agent.

Border patrol says smugglers are giving children ages four through eight melatonin to make them fall asleep.

Another potential drug is also being investigated.

Children are typically asleep in the back of the vehicle and they are kept asleep so it makes it much more difficult to question those children during the vehicle stop or at our checkpoints.

Border patrol says there were two separate incidents, one happening on the 13th of September, where a four-year-old child who appeared to be sleeping was being smuggled at the Indio checkpoint.

The second incident happened on the 18th at the same checkpoint.

“The September the 13th incident agents had to actually perform what is known as a sternum rub on the child to actually bring the child to consciousness, so definitely an indicator there. On September the 18th there was the same thing, agents noticed something was off with the children and upon questioning we were able to uncover that smuggling event," explained the agent.

Border Patrol says there was no connection between the smugglers and the children

All three children were taken to the office of refugee and resettlement, where they will be reunited with their families.

Border Patrol says the mother of one of the children was located in New York.

Border Patrol did not share what happened with the suspects involved in these cases.