Border Patrol agents at the Sarita checkpoint on Thursday found 25 people who were in the country illegally locked inside a hidden compartment within a tractor-trailer.
The driver of the vehicle, Norwin Jesus Espinoza-Lainez, is charged with transporting people in the country illegally.
A complaint against Espinoza says he arrived at the checkpoint at approximately 6:15 a.m. that day and could not answer basic questions asked by a Border Patrol agent as to where he was coming from and what company he worked for.
“Espinoza answered, ‘I do not know, I’m just going to Houston,'” the complaint stated.
He did claim to be hauling vegetables before being referred for a secondary inspection after a canine alerted to the tractor-trailer, according to the complaint.
“Upon further inspection of the trailer, BP Agents discovered twenty-five (people in the country illegally) in a hidden compartment locked with rivets located in the front area of the trailer,” the complaint stated.
During a post arrest interview, federal agents say Espinoza said his friend “Eddie” showed up to his house in Houston and offered him a job driving a tractor-trailer with cargo from McAllen, according to the complaint.
However, when Espinoza showed up for the job at the truck yard, he saw many people standing around the tractor-trailer and realized what was going on. A person identified as “Minor” told him everything would be fine and he would be paid extra.
“When asked by HSI Agents if Espinoza knew people were in the trailer, Espinoza told HSI Agents he knew people were in the trailer, but thought the people were hidden behind the vegetables in the trailer,” the complaint stated. “Espinoza said he didn’t know the people were put in a hidden compartment which were closed with rivets in the front area of the trailer.”
The complaint says Espinoza anticipated being paid $2,600.
He made a first appearance Monday morning in Corpus Christi federal court in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchel Neurock, who ordered him temporarily held without bond pending detention and probable cause hearings scheduled for later this week.
