U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a truck driver after allegedly finding 33 illegal immigrants in his refrigerated truck at an Arizona checkpoint Tuesday night.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it happened at the Interstate 19 checkpoint when the truck driver was asked to pull to the secondary inspection area for further questions and a search.
Along with finding produce, the search led to finding 33 people from Mexico and El Salvador, according to the news release.
The group inside the trailer included 12 juveniles ages three to 17, a pregnant female, and a convicted felon, according to the news release.
The truck’s refrigeration unit wasn’t turned on, agents say, and the trailer was nearly 100 degrees, creating a danger to those locked inside.
The driver, 37, was arrested and charged with felony human smuggling violations. The 33 people being smuggled were taken into U.S. Border Patrol custody and will be processed for immigration violations.
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