Two “good” friends were arrested Monday after Border Patrol agents discovered two people with no means of escape concealed inside a speaker box that was “not operable.”
Both Brandon Alexander Watts-Rodriguez and Greg Gutierrez are charged with attempting to smuggle people illegally present in the United States.
According to a criminal complaint, Border Patrol agents encountered the two friends at around 3:10 p.m. They said they were heading to San Antonio for spring break.
When asked if they were the only two people in the vehicle, Watts glanced toward the cargo area, prompting agents to ask for consent to search, which Watts granted, according to the complaint.
“When asked if the vehicle belonged to Watts, he stuttered, opened his eyes wide and stated the vehicle was his,” the complaint said.
During the search, agents noticed “modifications within the vehicle, such as out of place screws located in the spare tire cover and the rear seats appeared to be higher than normal.”
That’s when agents observed a speaker box that wasn’t operable, a case of water and a basket filled with clothing arranged in a way that covered the entire surface area of the cargo area.
Because of this, agents sent Watts and Gutierrez to secondary inspection for an x-ray that revealed two concealed people inside a modified compartment in the cargo area.
Watts told investigators that he and Gutierrez were hanging out at a friend’s place that morning and claimed the vehicle to be that friend’s.
He added that he was going to get paid an undisclosed amount to drive the people to an unknown location in San Antonio.
Gutierrez said “his good friend Brandon” told him he was going to Houston to drop off some people unlawfully present in the country, so he grabbed his stuff and got into the vehicle with him.
“Gutierrez stated he wasn’t doing it for the money, he was doing it because he wanted to help the people,” the complaint said.
One of the people concealed in the vehicle stated they were not told how to escape and the other said it was hot inside and there was no water to drink in the small space.
Watts appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchel Neurock in Corpus Christi federal court for his preliminary hearing where he received a $30,000 bond with a slew of other conditions, including avoiding all contact with Gutierrez.
Gutierrez was set to also appear before Neurock the same day but his hearing was canceled, according to court records.
