76 immigrants found in trailer near Laredo

The Border Patrol said agents working at a checkpoint on U.S. 83 near Laredo found 76 undocu- mented immigrants inside a tractor- trailer on Friday. The immigrants were in “good health” a Border Patrol news release said. less The Border Patrol said agents working at a checkpoint on U.S. 83 near Laredo found 76 undocu- mented immigrants inside a tractor- trailer on Friday. The immigrants were in “good health” a Border Patrol news ... more Photo: Courtesy Photo /U.S. Border Patrol Photo: Courtesy Photo /U.S. Border Patrol Image 1 of / 32 Caption Close 76 immigrants found in trailer near Laredo 1 / 32 Back to Gallery

Nearly 80 undocumented immigrants, including 13 unaccompanied children, were found inside a tractor-trailer northeast of Laredo, according to the Border Patrol.

Agents working at a checkpoint on U.S. 83 on Friday found the 76 immigrants from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala in the trailer of a northbound truck, according to a news release from the Border Patrol. The immigrants were in “good health” according to the news release and the truck’s U.S. citizen driver was arrested.

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Border Patrol agents have reported an increase in the use of tractor trailers, a dangerous smuggling method, to transport immigrants.

Over the summer, 10 people died from heat exposure after they were crammed into a trailer and smuggled from Laredo to San Antonio. One survivor later told investigators be believed 70 people were transported in the trailer. Another said there could have been 200.

The issue came up again earlier this month when police chief William McManus was criticized for releasing 12 immigrants who had apparently been smuggled from the U.S. to Laredo. Police charged the driver of that vehicle under a state smuggling statute and McManus said federal officials chose not to take the immigrants into custody.

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