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A United States truck driver was arrested Saturday after Border Patrol agents discovered he was smuggling 49 people illegally present in the country inside a trailer, according to a criminal complaint.
Rogelio Rodriguez was charged with knowingly and in reckless disregard attempting to transport people illegally present in the U.S.
At around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, Border Patrol agents working at the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint encountered a red 2013 Freightliner tractor pulling a trailer at the northbound primary lanes.
Rodriguez was identified as the driver of the tractor. He stated that was alone in the truck and was traveling to Houston, according to the complaint.
“A Border Patrol Canine Enforcement Agent approached the truck and trailer, and Rodriguez then exhibited signs of nervousness, glancing at the canine and ignoring the immigration inspection questions being asked by the primary agent,” the complaint said.
When asked what he was hauling, Rodriguez said produce. He was then directed to the secondary area for further inspection.
It was there that agents received a canine alert during a free-air sniff of the rear of the trailer.
When agents opened the trailer doors, they discovered 49 people lying in a row in the center of the trailer floor. They were all determined to be illegally present in the country, according to the complaint.
Rodriguez was then taken into custody and escorted into the station where he requested an attorney.
One of the people being smuggled told authorities that it was cold in the trailer and that he was afraid because there were no means of escape in the case of an emergency.
Another woman stated that they were instructed to stay quiet and added that they were all afraid for their lives.
Two of the three people interviewed by authorities were able to identify Rodriguez as the driver.
Rodriguez made his first appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason B. Libby in Corpus Christi federal court Monday morning.
