NEW ORLEANS — The Customs and Border Patrol announced last week that the Border Patrol New Orleans Sector was successful in executing Operation Magnolia, a highway interdiction enforcement action in the Pearl, Miss area that resulted in the arrest of 25 illegal aliens from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. CBP says 22 of the 25 were processed for removal from the United States, while three will be prosecuted under the re-entry after deportation federal statute
CBP reports that during the around the clock operation that spanned March 17-21, agents conducted highway enforcement operations along I-20, with the assistance of the Rankin and Hinds County Sheriff’s Offices, as well as the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector. Border Patrol agents were on site to quickly process the illegal aliens and begin the removal process.
“These operations strengthen and enhance our nation’s border security,” said New Orleans Border Patrol Acting Chief Adam Calderon. “We will continue to focus our enforcement efforts on these dangerous criminal networks and their smuggling operations to prevent human trafficking and other organized crime. These Border Patrol enforcement initiatives make our community safer and deter illegal aliens from attempting to break our nation’s immigration laws.”
The New Orleans Border Patrol Sector has jurisdiction over a seven-state area, encompassing 592 counties and parishes and approximately 362,310 square miles, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and a portion of the Florida panhandle.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
