Two young children were left abandoned at the southern U.S. border by smugglers who fled back into Mexico.

The children were left with nothing but handwritten notes to provide to authorities.

Chris Olivarez, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety, confirmed that troopers rescued the two girls, aged five and nine, at the Eagle Pass crossing. Both girls, originally from El Salvador, were found with notes containing an address and phone number, as reported by the Daily Mail.

12/28: @TxDPS Troopers recovered two unaccompanied female children left abandoned by a smuggler in Eagle Pass who fled back to Mexico. The two children from El Salvador, ages 5 & 9, had a note with an address & phone number. The children were referred to #USBP. #OperationLoneStar pic.twitter.com/5aT5nax12m

— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) December 28, 2024

This incident highlights a growing trend of unaccompanied illegal immigrant children (UIC) arriving at the border with notes listing contact information for a supposed “sponsor” in the United States. Cartels and smugglers often transport these children to the border and abandon them, leaving them to be referred to Border Patrol under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). From there, children are transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which places them with sponsors in the U.S., Fox reports.

The system, however, has faced significant criticism. Many of these children are not adequately tracked after their release. A report from the DHS Office of Inspector General revealed troubling statistics: over 30,000 children failed to appear in immigration court, and an additional 291,000 were never issued notices to appear.

This lack of oversight leaves children vulnerable to trafficking, exploitation, and forced labor. During the Biden administration, the U.S. has seen a sharp increase in unaccompanied minor arrivals, with approximately 500,000 children entering the country in total.