Border Patrol Encounters Smuggler’s Endangered Cargo: 21 Illegal Aliens
SALTON CITY – A driver of a tractor-trailer is being held in federal custody pending criminal charges for attempting to surreptitiously convey 21 persons on the morning of 04/30/2020. One unaccompanied juvenile boy, 16 adult men, and 4 adult women were found locked inside the cargo area with no safety restraints and no way out.
Initially, when a man drove the tractor-trailer to the Highway 86 checkpoint, “as Border Patrol agents conducted an immigration check on the driver during primary inspection, a Border Patrol canine detection team alerted to the cargo area of the trailer,” said CBP. “The driver was referred to secondary for further inspection.”
Next, Border Patrol agents inspected the cargo area of the tractor-trailer and discovered 21 illegal aliens “with no way to extricate themselves from the inside,” said CBP. “Agents safely removed all of the subjects and conducted welfare checks.”
The truck driver (50), who presented agents with a Legal Permanent Resident card as his own, was later determined to be an illegal alien from Mexico, flashing an imposter document while illegally present in the U.S.
The California Border Patrol is no stranger to this type of incident – the fifth of its kind this year in the Imperial Valley.
As a result, the driver and all 21 illegal aliens were placed under arrest. “The 21 illegal aliens were expeditiously expelled back to Mexico under Title 42 authority,” said CBP.
“The smuggling of humans in locked containers, especially during the recent warm temperatures, is a recipe for disaster,” said Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino. “Our agents are on the lookout for such smuggling methods to save lives and keep our communities safe.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation’s borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel.
