LAREDO, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment for transporting and/or smuggling of a large group of undocumented aliens via tractor trailer, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
According to a press release from the United State Attorney’s Office from the South District of Texas, Juan Manuel Aguirre, 49, is charged in a three-count indictment with conspiracy to transport an undocumented alien within the United States and the transportation of an undocumented alien within the United States for financial gain. He is expected to appear for his arraignment before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.
According to the criminal complaint originally filed in the case, on Dec. 2, 2024 law enforcement observed individuals being loading into a white trailer in a warehouse parking lot.
After the white truck that was hauling it departed the location, authorities conducted a traffic stop, according to the charges. A search allegedly resulted in the discovery of 101 non-U.S. citizens locked inside the trailer, including 12 unaccompanied children. The charges further allege two reported they had difficulty breathing and feared for their life due to the conditions in the trailer.
If convicted, Aguirre faces up to 10 years in prison for each of the three counts and fines of up to $250,000.
Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Webb County Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is prosecuting the case.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
