The Texas Division of Public Security (DPS) arrested a Mississippi man after discovering 17 unlawful immigrants crammed inside a false compartment of a “cloned” house enchancment retailer field truck in Kinney County, based on police bodycam footage.
Cezanne Megel Patterson, 28, of Jackson, Mississippi, was arrested and charged with human smuggling with the chance of great bodily damage or demise.
The DPS stated in a press launch that certainly one of its troopers carried out a visitors cease on what seemed to be a Lowe’s House Enchancment retailer supply truck outdoors of Del Rio, Texas, on US-277, close to the southern border through the early morning hours on Friday.
After stopping the truck, the trooper interviewed Patterson and seen he was demonstrating “strange behavior” and had a number of discrepancies along with his journey itinerary, together with expired tags on the truck, DPS stated.
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DPS carried out a visitors cease in Kinney County, Texas, and reportedly discovered 17 unlawful immigrants crammed right into a false compartment within the cargo space of a field truck made to appear like a house enchancment retailer truck. (Texas DPS)
Patterson consented to a search of the truck, and when troopers went contained in the cargo space, they discovered a false compartment towards the entrance.
Utilizing crowbars and different instruments, the troopers opened the compartment and located 17 unlawful immigrants crammed contained in the 3-foot-wide area, which lacked air flow.
DPS carried out a visitors cease in Kinney County, Texas, and reportedly discovered 17 unlawful immigrants crammed right into a false compartment within the cargo space of a field truck made to appear like a house enchancment retailer truck. (Texas DPS)
Video launched by DPS confirmed the migrants in numerous positions to maximise the variety of folks contained in the tiny area.
DPS stated the migrants consisted of 4 females and 13 males from Columbia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
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Cezanne Megel Patterson faces human smuggling fees. (Texas DPS)
All 17 of the migrants have been informed to get out of the compartment one after the other and to take a seat contained in the field truck with their legs crossed.
They have been additionally handled for dehydration earlier than being referred to Border Patrol.
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Patterson was finally charged with human smuggling with the chance of inflicting severe bodily damage or demise. He was taken to the Val Verde processing middle.
