Human smuggler arrested after chase ends in San Benito

by Sergio Chapa


Posted: 05.27.2011 at 5:51 PM


A human smuggler is behind bars after leading authorities on a chase that ended near San Benito.

U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Pablo Villalobos on human smuggling charges on Thursday.

Court records released Friday show he led Border Patrol agents on a chase in La Feria.

Villalobos managed to get away but later abandoned his Toyota Tercel in San Benito.

Border Patrol agents found two illegal immigrants at the scene.

Court records show that Villalobos went to the San Benito Police Department where he tried to report that his car had been stolen.

But authorities watched surveillance tapes from the store where it allegedly happened and saw him with the immigrants.

San Benito police arrested Villalobos on a filing a false report to a peace officer charge.

The two illegal immigrants are being held as witnesses in the case.

They both appeared before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Felix Recio on Friday morning where they were issued $5,000 dollar bonds.

The Houston man is expected to be charged in federal court once the filing a false report case has finished.


http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=623328