A Texas man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly smuggling a large group of undocumented immigrants inside a tractor-trailer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced. Juan Manuel Aguirre, 49, is facing a three-count indictment, including charges of conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants and transporting them for financial gain.
The charges stem from an incident on December 2, when law enforcement observed individuals being loaded into a white trailer at a warehouse parking lot. After the truck towing the trailer departed, authorities conducted a traffic stop. Upon searching the trailer, they discovered 101 non-U.S. citizens, including 12 unaccompanied children, being transported under overcrowded and unsafe conditions with limited ventilation.
Several individuals inside the trailer reported difficulty breathing and expressed fear for their safety due to the dire conditions.
Aguirre is scheduled to appear before a U.S. magistrate judge for his arraignment. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the three counts, along with fines up to $250,000 per count.
An indictment is a formal accusation, and Aguirre is presumed innocent unless proven guilty through the legal process.