A successful smuggling attempt was not on the menu Sunday after a man’s story that he was a personal chef cooking for famous people in the Rio Grande Valley fell apart.
Border Patrol agents arrested Edward Eugene Iglehart at the Falfurrias checkpoint after authorities found a woman in the country illegally hidden in the trunk of his vehicle.
A criminal complaint says he arrived at the checkpoint at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in a black 2018 Lincoln MKZ and told agents he was heading back to Houston.
“Iglehart stated he is a personal chef and down in the (Valley) cooking for some people,” the complaint states. “Iglehart then showed the agent a cooking pot which appeared to have not been used in quite some time. The pot was filled with papers and other items.”
The agent told Iglehart that it didn’t look like the pot had been used in awhile, prompting the man to tell the agent “he was cooking a lot for famous people.”
During the interview, agents noted that Iglehart kept interrupting the questioning and was moving around in his seats while his hands were shaking, according to the complaint.
“Iglehart attempted to give the agent his driver’s license, but his hands were shaking too badly and was unable to remove it from the wallet,” the complaint states.
In that document, Border Patrol said he kept looking at the backseat and rear of the vehicle.
“The agent asked Iglehart if he had any luggage or belongings in the trunk of the vehicle,” the complaint states. “Iglehart stated he just had his cooking ware and spices in the backseat but nothing to look at in the trunk.”
However, Border Patrol said he gave consent to search the trunk where agents found a person in plain sight.
“Iglehart stated he did not know he was driving with a person in the trunk and wanted to know if they were alive. Iglehart stated he was in Houston for a day and could not believe someone was in the trunk,” the complaint states. “Iglehart stated he has turned his life around and stated he is currently on parole for an aggravated assault.”
Iglehart declined to give a statement without an attorney, according to the complaint.
He was scheduled to make a first appearance Tuesday in Corpus Christi federal court in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason B. Libby.
