U.S. Border Patrol officials saved 55 illegal aliens after finding them in a hot, stuffy tractor-trailer at a border checkpoint in Texas Wednesday.
The illegal aliens were “sweating profusely” in the trailer that reached temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) press release Thursday.
Emergency medical personnel found the illegal aliens in healthy conditions.
“The United States Border Patrol not only protects the nation’s borders, but also ensures those who cross into the United States illegally are treated humanely,” Laredo Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jason Owens said, CBP reported. (RELATED: Canadian Arrested For Allegedly Smuggling Illegal Immigrants Through Train Tunnel)
An unidentified male, American citizen drove the trailer until officials stopped him along Interstate 35, north of Laredo, Texas. A service canine alerted officials of the trailer after detecting the smell of drugs or people.
Officials arrested the driver and took the vehicle. The illegal aliens were from Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico, according to CBP.
I-35 near Laredo has been a hot spot for agents to catch smugglers who transport illegal aliens in trailers. Agents found 62 illegal aliens in a refrigerated trailer driven by a female, U.S. citizen on Aug. 29. Another 78 in a separate incident were found in a refrigerated tractor-trailer on Aug. 11.
CBP was not available for immediate comment.
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