CBP: Two immigrants smuggled in car's trunk

Friday, December 11, 2009 at 7:31 p.m.



Customs officers at Brownsville's Veterans International Bridge got a surprise after finding two illegal immigrants crammed into the trunk of a car.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested Andy Valencia and John Rodriguez on immigrant smuggling charges Thursday.

The two men allegedly drove up on the commuter lane of the Veterans bridge but were referred to secondary inspection.

Customs officers allegedly opened the trunk and found two illegal immigrants from Mexico inside.

Valencia allegedly told authorities that the immigrants were allegedly each paying $1,500 dollars to be taken to Sugar Land, Texas.

A criminal complaint shows that Valencia told invesetigators he was supposed to get $500 dollars out of the deal.

Both Valencia and Rodriguez appeared before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Felix Recio in Brownsville on Friday morning.

Judge Recio gave both men received $20,000 dollar unsecured bonds.

Court records identified the illegal immigrants in the alleged smuggling act as Javier Escobedo-Juarez and Eligio Escalante-Juarez.

Escobedo is being held as a material witness in the case. He was given a $5,000 dollar cash bond with a 10 percent deposit.

http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=389409