EL PASO, Texas – Federal agents arrested a Texas man on Oct. 5 for harboring and transporting more than 100 noncitizens who were driven to various U.S. cities in tractor-trailers.
Roberto Benavides, 47, was arrested at his residence in the 14000 block of Warren Belin Drive in Horizon City, Texas, according to a news release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE).
Benavides was a target of a Homeland Security-El Paso investigation for more than a year, the news release stated.
ICE, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and El Paso members of the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce investigated the case with the assistance of the U.S. Border Patrol’s (USBP)and El Paso Sector Integrated Targeting Team (ITT).
“Human smugglers are callous individuals who are driven by greed with total disregard for the health and safety of the people they exploit and endanger,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho said. “HSI will continue to work tirelessly utilizing our broad authorities alongside our partners to combat smuggling networks responsible for this dangerous and often deadly activity.”
El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez said that she is “extremely proud of the work our El Paso Sector agents conduct each and every day to disrupt these Transnational Criminal Organizations. Our seamless partnership with Homeland Security Investigations has allowed for enhanced targeting of this illicit activity. Together, we will continue to succeed in combating these criminal organizations while saving human lives in the El Paso region.”
On Sept. 30, agents also executed two federal search warrants on two area properties used to facilitate human smuggling activity, according to the ICE news release.
Agents seized more than $27,000 from both properties and encountered 37 noncitizens, including 23 Hondurans, six Ecuadorans, four Peruvians, two Mexicans and two El Salvadorans.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
I’m glad no one was hurt.