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A man from the United States was arrested on Friday after Border Patrol agents found two people illegally present in the country locked inside a toolbox, according to a criminal complaint.
Eloy Arechiga Jr. was charged with knowingly and with reckless disregard attempting to transport people illegally present in the U.S. utilizing a locked toolbox in the bed of his truck.
According to the complaint, Arechiga arrived at the Falfurrias checkpoint around 6 a.m. in a 2017 Ford F-150 where he was greeted by an agent who noticed Arechiga was avoiding eye contact when questioned.
When the agent asked Arechiga if he’d consent to have his vehicle x-rayed, Arechiga stated he was in a hurry and requested that the x-ray be conducted on Monday.
Arechiga then attempted to drive forward but then the agent asked him if he could provide an identification card.
“The primary agent noticed Arechiga had trouble producing his card and Arechiga’s hand shaking,” the complaint said.
The agent then referred Arechiga to a secondary inspection due to a K-9 alerting to his vehicle.
During the search of the F-150, agents discovered two people concealed inside a toolbox that was in the bed of the truck.
“This toolbox was locked and a key was needed to open it,” the document said.
Once the concealed individuals were removed, it was determined they were both from Guatemala.
“The primary agent noticed Arechiga had trouble producing his card and Arechiga’s hand shaking,” the complaint said.
In an interview with authorities, Arechiga stated a friend named “El Monkey” asked him to transport people illegally present in the country to San Antonio.
The deal was discussed in person at a Walmart in Sharyland on Wednesday, according to the complaint.
Arechiga said he was going to be paid about $1,000 to smuggle the individuals.
On Friday morning, Arechiga arrived at a Sam’s Club parking lot in Pharr where he met two unknown males who placed two individuals inside Arechiga’s toolbox, according to the complaint.
“Arechiga said he then locked the toolbox and traveled north,” the complaint said.
One of the people concealed inside the toolbox stated that they didn’t have any food or water inside the toolbox and that they feared for their life.
Both individuals were able to identify Arechiga in a photo lineup.
On Monday morning, Arechiga made his first appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Julie K. Hampton in Corpus Christi federal court.
