Hit & Run Turns into Human Smuggling Case

Story Created: Aug 20, 2013 at 5:34 PM CDT
Story Updated: Aug 20, 2013

VIDEO REPORT AT LINK

It all started as a hit and run.

Police got a call after 9 p.m. Monday night when a tractor trailer was involved in an accident on Ejido avenue.

"The truck hit a bus, and then side swiped this Grand Prix causing. When police stopped the vehicle they found 54 illegal immigrants inside."

The vehicle was stopped on loop 20, and police said the driver pulled over right away.

But when they found the immigrants, they contacted border patrol. ]
"Originally we thought it was someone who committed a hit and run on property. Nobody was injured. None of the occupants of the tractor trailer were injured as well, no one was medically treated but quite a precarious situation that’s 54 people were actually inside the tractor trailer being importing illegals into the country."

The driver was also in possession of a small amount of crystal meth and was turned over to Homeland Security Investigation.

But what about the human beings that were in the back?

"The immigrants they will be processed and they will according whatever type of violation they committed, they will have their due process. The rest of the immigrants will be turned over to HSI."

Border patrol also has a program, they call Texas hold 'em where officials will go after the truck drivers commercial driver license so they cannot use it to smuggle again.

Out of the 54 illegal immigrants found, two were juvenile. Border patrol processes those who are underage differently.

They say they try to locate the family and hold them in a juvenile shelter until they find them.
http://www.pro8news.com/news/local/H...220423071.html