Two people are reportedly facing federal charges after 32 illegal immigrants were discovered in a refrigerated trailer.
The discovery was made on Monday at the I-19 border checkpoint in Tucson, Arizona after a canine unit alerted to the tractor trailer.
Using x-ray technology, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said that they spotted “numerous people locked in the rear of the trailer.”
Officials discovered 32 people inside the trailer. CBP wrote, “the individuals were also ill prepared to be in 47 degree refrigerated trailer as most were wearing short sleeve t-shirts.”
Authorities say that two unidentified men are facing two federal human smuggling charges.
While human smuggling attempts using semi trucks are not uncommon, the White House appeared to take special notice of the incident, tweeting about the incident from the official White House account on Tuesday: “Yesterday at an immigration checkpoint, @CBP agents found 32 illegal aliens locked in a semitrailer, where it was 47 degrees inside. Smuggling humans in commercial vehicles is not only unlawful: It places the passengers in extreme danger.”
Yesterday at an immigration checkpoint, @CBP agents found 32 illegal aliens locked in a semitrailer, where it was 47 degrees inside.
Smuggling humans in commercial vehicles is not only unlawful: It places the passengers in extreme danger. pic.twitter.com/g7AuCPhtP0
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 15, 2019