A 73-year-old Houston man recently pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport unlawful migrants into the United States, according to the Department of Justice.
On April 15, Anthony Alfred Boring stopped at the IH-35 border checkpoint about 29 miles north of Laredo, driving a tractor and pulling a locked utility trailer.
When agents asked Boring what he was hauling, the man appeared shocked. Agents said his face also turned pale, his eyes became glassy, and he sunk into his seat.
He then shrugged his shoulders and mumbled, “I don’t know,” agents said.
Law enforcement unlocked the trailer and discovered 145 unlawful migrants in the trailer. A total of 86 were from Mexico, 49 from Guatemala, five from Honduras, three from El Salvador, and two from Ecuador, the Department of Justice reported.
Agents described the heat in the trailer and the excessive number of bodies. They also say there was no drinking water in the trailer.
Boring has not been sentenced yet, but he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
He remains in custody until sentencing.
Homeland Security conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol.