BORDER TOWN USA: Human Smuggler Arrested with Migrants in Florida Traffic Stop

Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrested a Mexican national on human smuggling charges following a traffic stop on Interstate Highway 75 near Micanopy. The alleged human smuggler reportedly admitted to transporting migrants who illegally crossed the border from Mexico into Texas.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrested 29-year-old David Ramirez-Ayuso, a Mexican national, following a traffic stop along IH-75 in Alachua County, according to a report from WCJB ABC20. Police found two migrants in the vehicle.

Officials report the three occupants of the vehicle carried Mexican ID cards. Ramirez-Ayuso reportedly told police he had smuggled other migrants from the border during the past two weeks.

The trooper stopped the Ford Expedition for a window-tint violation, the Alachua Chronicle reported. Ramirez-Ayuso produced a Mexican driver’s license for identification and a Mexican identification card. Police report the vehicle has an Arizona registration.

“The trooper said he asked Ramirez-Ayuso whose vehicle it was, and Ramirez-Ayuso said it belonged to his brother-in-law, but he could not provide the name of the owner,” the local newspaper reported. “The trooper said Ramirez-Ayuso appeared ‘nervous, his hands were shaking, breath was heavy, and his voice was shaking when speaking.’”

The suspected human smuggler told the trooper he was traveling from Chicago with his two friends to find construction work in Ocalla, Florida. However, he could not provide the names of his “friends” to the trooper.

One of the passengers told police he illegally crossed the border from Mexico into the U.S. He said that “people” paid $9,000 for his transportation from the border region to Chicago. The “people” then paid an additional $800 to move him from Chicago to Florida.

Ramirez-Ayuso reportedly told the trooper his brother-in-law paid him $3,200 to cover travel expenses and rent in Florida until they could find jobs in Ocala. The passengers were supposed to pay him $300 each when they reached their destination.

Jail records obtained by Breitbart Texas from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office indicate Ramirez-Ayuso remains in custody with a bond set at $2,005,000. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations officers also placed an immigration detainer on the alleged smuggler who is illegally present in the United States.