An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Local Media Release
  4. Laredo Sector Border Patrol halted a human smuggling attempt at the I-35 checkpoint

Laredo Sector Border Patrol halted a human smuggling attempt at the I-35 checkpoint

Release Date
Wed, 02/01/2023

LAREDO, Texas – Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents halted a human smuggling attempt at the I-35 checkpoint.

 On Jan. 31, Border Patrol agents while working their assigned duties at the I-35 checkpoint, encountered a tractor-trailer at the primary inspection lane when a Service canine alerted to the trailer.  Border Patrol agents subsequently referred the driver to secondary. After further inspection at secondary, Border Patrol agents discovered 18 individuals inside the trailer.

 Record checks revealed that the individuals were in the country illegally. They were from the countries of El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico. The driver and undocumented individuals were taken into custody and processed accordingly. 

  U.S. Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol while remaining anonymous by calling 1-800-343-1994.

Last Modified: Feb 01, 2023