Laredo Man Indicted For Smuggling Over 100 Migrants In Locked Trailer
Thursday, December 26, 2024, 4:30 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
LAREDO, TX.- On Monday, December 23, a Federal Grand Jury for the Southern District of Texas returned an indictment against Juan Manuel Aguirre, 49, of Laredo, Texas, in connection with smuggling over one hundred illegal immigrants, including 12 undocumented children inside a locked trailer.
The three-count indictment charges Aguirre with Conspiracy to Transport an Undocumented Alien within the United States; Transporting an Undocumented Alien within the United States; and and the Transportation of an Undocumented Alien within the United States for Financial Gain. Aguirre is expected to be arraigned before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the near future.
According To Charging Information Unsealed In The Indictment
According to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani and charging information unsealed in the indictment, it is alleged that on December 2, 2024, federal and Texas state law enforcement officers observed individuals being loaded into a white trailer in a warehouse parking lot.
After the white truck hauling the trailer departed the parking lot, Officers conducted a traffic stop on the tractor-trailer. During a subsequent search of the trailer, Officers found 101 non-U.S. citizens locked inside the trailer, including 12 unaccompanied children. The indictment further alleges that two of the individuals reported having trouble breathing and feared for their lives due to the conditions in the trailer.
If convicted of the charges, Aguirre faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each count and fines up to $250,000.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
