76 undocumented immigrants were discovered in the back of a tractor trailer at a Border Patrol Checkpoint in Texas on Friday.
The incident happened on January 26th at the Border Patrol Checkpoint on north Highway 83 in Laredo, Texas.
According to US Customs and Border Protection, the tractor trailer was trying to pass through the border checkpoint when agents questioned the driver’s immigration status. The agents referred the truck to a secondary inspection and 76 immigrants were discovered inside the trailer.
Among the 76 undocumented immigrants were 13 children and 63 adults hailing from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. All were in good health at the time of the discovery.
The truck driver, who turned out to be a United States Citizen, was taken into custody and his semi truck, seized.
“These criminal organizations view these individuals as mere commodities without regard for their safety,” said Laredo Sector Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Gabriel Acosta.
“The blatant disregard for human life will not be tolerated. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle these organizations and prosecute those responsible,” he continued.
Laredo Sector Border Patrol encourages anyone who sees suspicious activity regarding immigrant or drug smuggling to call them at 1-800-343-1994.
