Man arrested for ongoing scheme that smuggled migrants across the border via semi truck

A man has been arrested and accused of harboring and transporting migrants across the border using semi trucks in Texas late last week. 

47-year-old Roberto Benavides was arrested in Horizon City, Texas last Thursday, September 30th after a year-long investigation. 

According to KTSM News, Benavides harbored and transported more than 100 noncitizens to cities across the United States using tractor trailers for transportation and several properties used “to facilitate human smuggling activity.” 

When agents investigated the properties, the discovered 37 undocumented immigrants – 23 Hondurans, six Ecuadorans, four Peruvians, two Mexicans, and two El Salvadorans – along with $27,000 in cash. 

“Human smugglers are callous individuals who are driven by greed with total disregard for the health and safety of the people they exploit and endanger,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho said in a statement. “HSI will continue to work tirelessly utilizing our broad authorities alongside our partners to combat smuggling networks responsible for this dangerous and often deadly activity.”