Texas Man Arrested After 16 Migrants Found Locked in Cargo Trailer near Border

Anthony Johnson Charged with 16 Counts of Human Smuggling (Texas Department of Public Safe
Texas Department of Public Safety Video Screenshots

A Houston man is charged with human smuggling after a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper found 16 migrants locked behind a fake wall in a cargo trailer.

DPS spokesman Lieutenant Chris Olivarez posted a video on social media showing the discovery of 16 illegal immigrants locked behind a fake wall in a cargo trailer. The discovery occurred on U.S. Highway 77 in Kenedy County, about 50 miles from the Texas-Mexico border.

On September 16, the trooper assigned to Operation Lone Star stopped a white pickup truck towing a cargo trailer between Brownsville and Kingsville. After discussing the situation with the driver, identified as Anthony Johnson from Houston, the trooper received permission to search the trailer.

After entering the trailer, the trooper found a fake wall. The trooper found 16 migrants trapped in the small compartment with no air ventilation. The trooper put a camera through a small hole in the wall and discovered the trapped migrants who had no means of escape in the event of a crash or abandonment of the trailer.

The trooper arrested Johnson, who is now jailed on 16 counts of smuggling of persons with the likelihood of serious bodily injury or death. The trooper contacted Border Patrol agents, who took custody of the migrants.

Earlier this month, Maverick County Sheriff’s Office deputies found 26 migrants locked inside an abandoned trailer with no means of escape, Breitbart Texas’ Randy Clark reported.

Sheriff Tom Schmerber told Breitbart Texas the migrants had been loaded into the trailer in preparation for a 160-mile trip from the border region to San Antonio. Deputies found the abandoned trailer about three miles from the Texas-Mexico border in Eagle Pass.

Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products 

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.