MOBILE — A nine-year-old Guatemalan boy was rescued from a home in Baldwin County as FBI Mobile agents were searching for another child.
Officials said they were attempting to locate another unaccompanied minor on Monday when they discovered the child living with three people from Guatemala who had previously been ordered to leave the country.
It is believed the child's father was in the country at some point, but the child was in the United States when the father left. Authorities estimate the child had been in the United States for almost three years.
Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assistant agent in charge PJ Lavoie said the child appeared to be cared for but was not enrolled in school.
"This is why we go out and do these operations day in and day out," Lavoie said. "Men and women have been out there and all of our partners have been there. This is a problem that's obviously right in our doorstep."
The nine-year-old boy was placed into the care of the Department of Human Resources.
The three Guatemalans he was living with are being deported.
The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office assisted in the investigation.
The child the FBI was initially searching for was not located.
HSI provides a list of possible unaccompanied minors. The child in Baldwin County was not on that list. Lavoie said hundreds of unaccompanied minors are believed to be in Alabama.
The FBI said agents are working to ensure children are safe because children crossing the border alone are vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking and violence.
Protecting the children is a critical mission of the FBI, and we will continue to work with our partners to protect their care and well-being," said FBI special agent of the Mobile Division in charge Rachel Byrd.
Byrd said the rescue and other similar operations are possible due to the Trump administration.
"This work is being supported by the current administration, who is prioritizing the efforts to make our country, your cities, your home safe," said Byrd. "The FBI is assisting HSI with a nationwide effort to conduct welfare checks of thousands of unaccompanied children, who have been identified as crossing the border without a parent or legal guardian."
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