A Laredo man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for his alleged involvement in the smuggling of over 100 undocumented individuals in a locked trailer. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced the indictment, which charges Juan Manuel Aguirre, 49, with conspiracy to transport an undocumented alien within the United States and transportation of an undocumented alien within the United States for financial gain.
The criminal complaint states that on December 2, law enforcement officials observed people being loaded into a white trailer at a warehouse parking lot. After the truck departed, authorities stopped it and found 101 non-U.S. citizens inside the trailer, including 12 unaccompanied children. The conditions were reportedly severe enough that two individuals expressed difficulty breathing and fear for their lives.
If convicted, Aguirre could face up to ten years in prison for each count and fines reaching $250,000.
The operation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Border Patrol as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative. This effort aims to identify and dismantle major criminal organizations threatening the United States through a coordinated approach involving multiple agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is handling the prosecution of this case.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an accusation and not evidence of guilt; Aguirre remains presumed innocent until proven guilty through due process.