Man Arrested for Human Trafficking

Friday, March 05, 2010
By: LAREDO SUN

LAREDO, Tx.- A resident from Rio Grande, Texas was arrested by Border Patrol agents as he transported 13 undocumented immigrants in a vehicle.

Michael Garza was sent to a detention center on federal charges of human trafficking. Reports indicate that federal officials detected two units circulating on road FM 1017 in east Laredo, a Chevrolet pick up and a Ford van.

Agents noticed that the vehicles carried a lot of weight, especially the Ford van so officers decided to stop the van. The driver then tried to escape by speeding away into a dirt road where he abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.

Inside the van 10 people were found that confessed to being illegal immigrants. Authorities then followed the Chevrolet pick up driven by Michael Garza.

Three other men that also traveled in the pick up declared they were Texas residents in spanish.

The subjects later confessed that they were from México and Garza was transporting them to Corpus Christi. Garza mentioned that he would be paid 100 to 200 dollars per person, after picking them up in Mission, Texas.

The immigrants indicated that someof them were headed to Houston and they were to pay 1,500 dollars for the trasportation.

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