U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Interstate Highway 35 (I-35) checkpoint have discovered undocumented individuals inside a commercial trailer during a human smuggling attempt, north of Laredo, Texas.
The incident occurred on April 16, when a commercial tractor-trailer approached the checkpoint. Through a non-intrusive scan of the trailer, agents observed multiple anomalies inside the trailer. Agents opened the sealed cargo area of the tractor trailer and discovered a total of 149 undocumented individuals locked inside. None of the individuals were wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). They were all medically screened and provided with PPE.
The undocumented individuals were determined to be in the United States illegally from the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Peru, and Ecuador. They were all placed under arrest along with the driver, a U.S. citizen, pending further investigation by Special Agents of Homeland Security Investigations. The U.S. Border Patrol seized both the tractor and trailer.