Border Patrol agents assigned to the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint arrested 27 people in a suspected smuggling operation on Wednesday February 12, 2020 near Salton City, CA.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:40 p.m., when a man drove a tractor-trailer to the checkpoint. During primary inspection, Border Patrol agents conducted an immigration check on the driver.
During the inspection, a Border Patrol canine detection team alerted to the rear cargo area of the trailer. The driver was referred to secondary for further inspection.
Border Patrol agents inspected the cargo area of the truck and discovered 26 undocumented immigrants inside the bed of the trailer.
The immigrants were locked inside the 45 degree trailer with no safety restraints and with no way to extricate themselves from the inside. Agents safely removed all the occupants.
The driver and all 26 undocumented immigrants, which include one male and one female juveniles, were placed under arrest.
