EDINBURG, Texas| A joint law enforcement operation in South Texas led to the discovery of 20 migrants concealed inside a tractor-trailer at an Edinburg truck stop on Aug. 20 with the refer set to 69f.
According to U.S. Border Patrol officials, agents with the Rio Grande Valley Sector responded alongside the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office after authorities received a report involving a suspicious tractor-trailer.
A Border Patrol K-9 unit was brought to the scene and alerted to the vehicle. Agents and deputies then searched the tractor-trailer and discovered 20 people concealed inside the trailer.
Authorities described the incident as a life-endangering human-smuggling attempt.
The truck driver was taken into custody following the discovery.
U.S. Border Patrol officials said the operation was part of an ongoing effort to disrupt criminal organizations involved in human smuggling and illegal immigration.
“We remain relentless in our mission to secure the border and dismantle the criminal networks that profit from illegal immigration,” Border Patrol officials said in a statement regarding the operation.
Authorities had not publicly released the identity of the driver, the trucking company involved, the specific truck stop, the nationalities of those discovered inside the trailer, or details regarding formal charges as of the latest available information.
The investigation remains ongoing.
TWOSU News will update this story if additional information is released by federal or local authorities.
