BWC: Texas trooper finds 16 migrants behind false wall in trailer during traffic stop

After using drills to remove a false wall, the trooper discovered 16 people “crammed inside a small compartment with no air ventilation”

September 20, 2024 12:18 PM

By Joanna Putman
Police1

KENNEDY COUNTY, Texas — A Houston man faces felony charges of human smuggling after Texas Department of Public Safety troopers discovered 16 migrants hidden behind a false wall in a trailer, Click2Houston reported.

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The incident occurred on Sept. 16 when a DPS trooper conducted a traffic stop on a Ford F-250 towing a cargo trailer. According to DPS, the driver consented to a search of the trailer.

Troopers found a false wall in the trailer and, after using drills to remove it, discovered 16 people “crammed inside a small compartment with no air ventilation,” according to the report. DPS reported that the individuals were in the country illegally.

The department released body camera video of the incident, showing the trooper ushering the migrants out of the trailer.

The driver was arrested and charged with 16 counts of smuggling of persons with the likelihood of substantial bodily injury or death. The migrants were referred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for further processing, according to the report.