More than 100 People Smuggled in Commercial Trailer
More than 100 People Smuggled in Commercial Trailer
Release Date: October 1, 2020
LAREDO, TEXAS – U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Cotulla Station assigned to the U.S. Highway 83 checkpoint stopped a large human smuggling attempt north of Laredo.
The incident occurred during the late evening of September 29, when a tractor-trailer approached the checkpoint and a Service canine alerted to the vehicle.
A search of the vehicle led agents to discover 117 individuals inside the trailer.
All of the individuals were illegally present in the United States and from the countries of Mexico and Guatemala.
The individuals along with the driver, a U.S. citizen, were taken into custody pending investigation. The case was turned over to Special Agents of Homeland Security Investigations. U.S. Border Patrol seized the tractor-trailer.
Despite the threat of the global pandemic and a noted increase in COVID-19 infections among detainees, smugglers continue to endanger the lives of individuals they exploit by placing them in compromising, enclosed places without regard to temperatures, PPE, or means of escape. The Laredo Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol focuses on its enduring mission priorities of countering terrorism, combatting transnational crime, securing the border, facilitating lawful trade, protecting revenue, and facilitating lawful travel.
To report suspicious activity such as alien and/or drug smuggling, download the “USBP Laredo Sector” App or contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free at 1-800-343-1994. If you see something, please say something. You can also follow us on our social media platforms on Twitter and Instagram @usbpchieflrt and @usbpdepchieflrt and on Facebook at US Border Patrol Laredo Sector.
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-m...ercial-trailer
