On June 6, 2020 U.S. Border Patrol agents intercepted a human smuggling attempt at a Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 35 (I-35) north of Laredo, Texas.
A red tractor hauling a white trailer approached the I-35 checkpoint. During an immigration inspection of the driver, a Service canine alerted to the vehicle.
Agents opened the locked trailer and discovered 17 individuals inside, all illegally present in the United States from the countries of Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Honduras. The individuals and the driver, a U.S. citizen, were taken into custody pending further investigation. The tractor was turned over to the Webb County Sheriff’s Office as it had been reported as stolen.
