Three unlawful migrants were found locked inside two metal toolboxes on the bed of a pickup truck last week at a Border Patrol checkpoint in Texas when border patrol agents investigated the vehicle.
Upon arriving at the checkpoint on Texas Highway 65/180 last Thursday, the vehicle attracted the attention of a drug-sniffing K-9 agent, who alerted authorities.
The driver, a U.S. citizen whose name has not been released, was required to undergo a secondary examination, during which he allegedly confessed to possessing a weapon and a small amount of marijuana.
When the agents questioned him about what was in the toolboxes, he replied that he did not have keys to the padlocks, prompting Border Patrol to cut them. Agents reportedly found three Honduran men inside with limited oxygen.
“Endangering human lives by using dangerous and despicable smuggling tactics is the modus operandi of transnational criminal organizations,” said El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez. “Many times smuggled migrants are locked in confined spaces with restricted oxygen.”
She called the driver a “ruthless smuggler” who was transporting the unlawful migrants in the extreme summer heat.
A medical examination confirmed that the men were in good health. It is unclear what happened to them after their discovery.
The driver was charged on suspicion of “conspiring to transport,” per Fox News.
“I am extremely proud of the actions of our El Paso Sector Border Patrol agents as they often encounter high-risk situations, where if not for their dedication and intervention, events as these would turn into tragedies,” added Chavez. “Our Border Patrol Agents are true heroes as they display compassion and professionalism every day.”
The incident was one of 25 attempted human smuggling operations halted within seven days in the El Paso Sector, which yielded 170 unlawful migrants, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.
Last month, more than 50 unlawful migrants were discovered dead in an abandoned tractor-trailer on the outskirts of San Antonio, as reported by The Dallas Express.
