23 illegal immigrants and 256 pounds of marijuana were discovered inside of a tractor trailer near El Paso on Wednesday.
The truck was pulled over by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Officers on August 16th on Interstate 10 as part of the organization’s Homeland Security Investigations.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agents found 18 men and two underage boys hiding behind commercial boxes in the trailer of the truck. 1 man and 2 women, along with 256 pounds of marijuana were also found in the cab of the truck.
None of the 20 Mexican or 3 Guatemalan immigrants required medical attention.
“The people inside the trailer had a long trip ahead of them, and nothing assures us they would have arrived at their destination alive,” said Waldemar Rodriguez, a special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso.
The driver of the truck, as well as his passenger, were arrested at the scene.
The 44-year-old truck driver, Comothial Harper, a U.S. citizen and Georgia-resident, was arrested on charges of transporting illegal aliens for financial gain. The passenger, 35-year-old Gerardo Aguilar-Roque, was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
According to court documents, Harper told officers that he was approached by a man in a Petro gas station who offered him $5,000 cash to transport the immigrants from Anthony, Texas to Dallas, Texas.
This is the 2nd incident of this kind in less than a week, as police in Edinburg, Texas discovered a trailer transporting 17 illegal immigrants just 3 days prior.