DPS says a Laredo man is now being charged with 23 counts of human smuggling.
LA SALLE COUNTY, Texas — Texas DPS has released dramatic body camera footage showing the moment Troopers discovered 23 migrants confined inside the cab of a semi-truck.
It happened during a traffic stop along I-35 in La Salle County, according to DPS officials.
The stop happened last Friday, when Troopers said they pulled over the driver, John Amaya of Laredo, for what began as a routine roadside check.
The body cam video captures the tense exchange as Troopers question Amaya moments before uncovering the crowded cab.
In the footage, a Trooper is heard asking Amaya if he’s traveling alone, and then Amaya is heard responding, ‘yes.’
But DPS says a Border Patrol K9 sensed trouble almost instantly — and alerted Troopers to search the cab of the truck.
What Troopers found next, according to DPS, was a group of migrants packed tightly into the truck’s cabin—23 people from five different countries, including Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador.
The migrants were taken into federal custody for processing.
Amaya was arrested at the scene and now faces 23 counts of human smuggling