With the help of a service canine, Border Patrol agents assigned to the Javier Vega, Jr. Checkpoint in Sarita, Texas, assisted Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in stopping a potentially dangerous human smuggling attempt.
On June 24, Border Patrol agents were alerted by HSI that an investigation led them to believe a cargo vehicle loaded with illegal aliens would attempt to travel through the checkpoint. The suspect vehicle arrived at the primary inspection lane for an immigration inspection at the Javier Vega, Jr. Checkpoint where a service canine alerted. During a secondary inspection, agents discovered 25 subjects. They were found inside the cargo area that had a temperature of nearly 100 degrees. The subjects were from the countries of Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. All subjects were illegally present in the United States.
The case remains under investigation.
In a separate incident at the Javier Vega, Jr. Checkpoint, Border Patrol agents referred a vehicle to secondary inspection following a canine alert. During the subsequent search, agents discovered 450 Xanax pills and a loaded firearm. The case was referred to local authorities for investigation.
