A Texas man, Daniel Rodriguez, is facing federal charges for allegedly attempting to smuggle 18 undocumented immigrants into the United States via a tractor-trailer truck. The incident occurred on August 28 in the Rio Grande Valley, where Border Patrol agents intercepted the vehicle at a federal immigration checkpoint.
According to a federal complaint, agents became suspicious of the truck when Rodriguez exhibited nervous behavior during the initial inspection. Despite being ordered to pull over for further examination, Rodriguez fled the scene, prompting agents to pursue the vehicle.
A marked patrol vehicle was dispatched to track down the tractor-trailer, which was eventually stopped and returned to the checkpoint. A canine unit was then deployed, and upon alerting to the trailer’s rear doors, agents discovered the 18 migrants hiding inside.
The migrants, who were found to be citizens of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador, and El Salvador, were seated on the floor of the trailer with no cargo present. It remains unclear whether the truck initially transported the migrants from Mexico or if they were picked up after entering the US on foot.
Rodriguez claimed ignorance of the migrants’ presence in his vehicle, but a statement from one of the migrants contradicts this assertion. The migrant reported that they had been given instructions on what to expect during the journey, including the driver’s planned stops and a warning to remain silent and still when approaching immigration checkpoints.
Fortunately, the incident did not result in any fatalities or injuries, a rarity in tractor-trailer smuggling cases, which have historically been linked to heat-related deaths.
