Customs and Border Patrol agents have arrested a 32-year-old man from Mexico who was caught smuggling 26 illegal immigrants into the country via a tractor-trailer.

The driver was caught sneaking the people - reportedly aged between 16 and 56 years old - into the United States when he stopped at California's Highway 86 immigration checkpoint around 9.40pm Wednesday.

El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents were looking over his ID, which was presented as his own from the state of California and later turned out to be fake, police dogs were alerted to the rear cargo area of the trailer.

Customs and Border Patrol agents have arrested a 32-year-old man from Mexico who was caught smuggling 26 illegal immigrants (pictured) into the country via a tractor-trailer. The people are reportedly aged between 16 and 56 years old and include a male and a female juvenile

Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez said in a statement: 'This smuggling organization had no regard for the safety of the people they were smuggling'

That's when two dozen adults, plus one male and one female juvenile, were discovered in the bed area of the vehicle.

An image shared by CBP shows the people with their hands in the air, behind their heads or where agents could see them as they busted the smuggling operation.

They are pictured sitting on the side walls of the truck, with one man standing, and many are dressed lightly in hooded sweaters, jeans and casual caps.

'The undocumented immigrants were locked and trapped inside this tracker-trailer in below 45 degree weather with no safety restraints,' Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez said in a statement.

'This smuggling organization had no regard for the safety of the people they were smuggling.

'Fortunately, our agents were able to remove them from that potentially life threatening situation.'

Each undocumented person - including the juveniles - was placed under arrest.

'The driver will face criminal proceedings, and the smuggled immigrants will be processed in a case-by-case basis,' Border Patrol agent Carlos Pitones told the Los Angeles Times.