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A truck driver was arrested Thursday after Border Patrol agents at the Falfurrias checkpoint discovered 19 people illegally present in the United States inside the sleeper area of his tractor-trailer truck, according to a criminal complaint.
Edgar Manuel Iniguez was charged with knowingly attempting to transport persons illegally in the country.
At about 12:25 a.m., Border Patrol agents were performing their primary inspection duties when a white 2007 Peterbilt tractor-trailer driven by Iniguez entered the inspection lane.
During questioning, agents noticed Iniguez kept looking back toward the K-9 handler as he approached the checkpoint lane.
As the tractor approached, agents noticed a flashing light on the rear of the vehicle, though it wasn’t hauling anything, according to the complaint.
Iniguez handed agents his Texas driver’s license and nodded when asked if he was the only occupant of the vehicle.
“…Iniguez failed to maintain eye contact with the BP agent and instead kept his eyes forward,” the complaint said.
Agents then asked if he’d consent to an x-ray scan of the tractor to which Iniguez agreed to and proceeded to the secondary area where Border Patrol discovered several anomalies in the truck’s sleeper area.
An inspection of that area resulted in the discovery of 19 people concealed inside the sleeper area.
Of the 19 individuals, two were Mexican nationals, another two were from Honduras and the remainder came from Guatemala.
During an interview with authorities, one Guatemalan woman stated she didn’t know how to escape the tractor in case of an emergency.
Another Guatemalan man told authorities that he was “very scared” because he also didn’t know how to exit the tractor in an emergency.
Iniguez made his appearance Monday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason B. Libby in Corpus Christi federal court. He’s scheduled to reappear Thursday morning for a preliminary examination and detention hearing.
