A Houston woman was arrested after Texas DPS troopers found 25 illegal immigrants hidden behind mattresses and inside a crawlspace of a box truck, leading to human smuggling charges.
A Texas woman was arrested on Wednesday after Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers discovered 25 illegal immigrants crammed into the back of a box truck, hidden behind mattresses and inside a crawlspace.
DPS said 43-year-old Silvia Patricia Santamaria, of Houston, was arrested and charged with 25 counts of human smuggling and has since been booked into the Live Oak County Jail.
Just after 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, a concerned citizen approached a DPS trooper at a truck stop along Interstate 37 in George West, Texas, regarding a minor crash that happened in the parking lot.
When the trooper contacted the driver of a white 2005 International box truck involved in the crash, later identified as Santamaria, she allegedly told the law enforcement official she was driving to Houston after picking up mattresses in Alton, Texas.
17 illegal migrants were discovered crammed in an RV and sedan in the sweltering heat of Arizona.
DPS said the trooper noticed inconsistencies in Santamaria’s travel plans and asked for consent to search the truck.
With assistance from the George West Police Department, the trooper discovered 25 illegal immigrants inside a small corner of the box truck who were attempting to hide behind 30 mattresses and inside a crawl space within the truck’s wall, DPS said.
DPS added that there was no ventilation inside the truck.
Alleged human smugglers were arrested in Texas after hiding migrants inside hollowed hay bales.
The group of immigrants comprised of 12 males, 12 females, and an 11-year-old child.
All the migrants were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, India, Cuba, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic, DPS said.
The illegal immigrants were removed from the truck and received medical evaluation before being referred to the U.S. Border Patrol.
Driver in Texas migrant smuggling run that led to deaths of 53 people pleaded guilty.
In 2022, San Antonio officials discovered 51 dead immigrants inside an abandoned tractor trailer.
Officials said at the time they believed the truck was abandoned after it experienced mechanical problems.
A city worker discovered the trailer after hearing a cry from inside the trailer.
At least 46 migrants were found dead at the scene and more died in hospitals.