149 illegal immigrants were found at a checkpoint inside a commercial trailer during a human smuggling attempt in Laredo, Texas. The discovery was found by U.S. Border Patrol agents at the checkpoint on Interstate Highway 35.
On April 16, 2021 a commercial tractor-trailer approached the checkpoint. Through a non-intrusive scan of the trailer, agents observed multiple anomalies inside the trailer. Agents opened the sealed cargo area of the tractor trailer and discovered a total of 149 undocumented individuals locked inside.
None of the individuals were wearing personal protective equipment. They were all medically screened and provided masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The undocumented individuals were determined to be in the United States illegally from the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Peru, and Ecuador. They were all placed under arrest along with the driver, a U.S. citizen. The U.S. Border Patrol seized both the tractor and trailer.
