The oxygen mask gave him away.
That’s because when 66-year-old McAllen resident Juan Luis Barrera-Cavazos arrived at the Falfurrias checkpoint Wednesday morning, the Border Patrol agent conducting his inspection immediately recognized him — and his vehicle — from a prior smuggling encounter.
And sure enough, Barrera now finds himself back in custody on a charge of trying to smuggle someone into the country illegally.
The incident unfolded at 7:50 a.m. that day when Barrera arrived at the checkpoint in a black Nissan Sedan.
“The primary agent recognized Barrera from a prior encounter,” a criminal complaint states. “Barrera was wearing the same oxygen mask connected to a portable oxygen tank and was driving the same vehicle.”
During the inspection, a canine alerted to Barrera’s vehicle and the agent asked for consent to search the trunk to which Barrera agreed, according to the complaint.
“As the canine handler was going to open the trunk, Barrera accelerated and fled the checkpoint at a high rate of speed,” the complaint states.
Border Patrol pursued Barrera during the chase which reached speeds of 100 mph before he finally stopped and was arrested.
A person in the country illegally had been hiding in his trunk but crawled into the back passenger seat once the vehicle started moving at a high rate of speed, according to the complaint.
Authorities are familiar with Barrera.
In 2010, Border Patrol arrested him for a failed smuggling attempt and did so again in 2018.
During an interview with agents, he said he has had about 10 successful smuggling events where he took people in the country illegally to Houston, according to the complaint.
He also has a lengthy arrest history in Hidalgo County. Police have picked him up nine times since 1999, mostly on charges of failing to identify as a fugitive and for driving while intoxicated.
Most recently, McAllen police arrested him on April 3 for driving while intoxicated and for displaying fictitious license plates.
Barrera made a first appearance Friday in Corpus Christi federal court in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchel Neurock who ordered him temporarily held without bond while the U.S. Marshals explore whether he needs to be held outside of the Coastal Bend area because of his medical issues, court records indicate.
