Rio Grande City, United States - December 02, 2024 [Note: video contains subtitles] A 5-year-old child from Guatemala was rescued from a human smuggler’s operation during a joint effort between Texas DPS Troopers and U.S. Border Patrol on December 2. A DPS drone captured a raft crossing the Rio Grande, delivering three adults and the child to Texas soil. They were picked up by Javier Alexander Osorio Ruiz, a smuggler from Mexico, who attempted to transport them further inland. When his plan failed, Ruiz abandoned the group in the brush, leaving the child injured by cactus thorns. Troopers apprehended Ruiz and placed him under arrest. He now faces federal human smuggling charges. Agents provided medical care for the child, who sustained minor injuries. The child’s mother revealed that a family member in California had paid a smuggling organization to facilitate their journey across the border. Authorities commended the operation for disrupting criminal activity and protecting the vulnerable child from further harm.