An unlicensed driver has been sentenced to years in federal prison for his role in a major human smuggling effort.
Fifty-four year old Florida resident Joseph Winslow was sentenced to six years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to charges related to human smuggling on March 5, 2021. The prison sentence will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
On December 30, 2020, Winslow drove a semi truck into a Border Patrol check point located on IH-35, approximately 29 miles north of Laredo, Texas.
When officers x-rayed the trailer, they discovered that it was filled with people.
A total of 149 undocumented people were ultimately found in the trailer.
Winslow later told authorities that he had agreed to transport the trailer full of people from Laredo to San Antonio for $100 up front with $10,000 to be paid after reaching San Antonio.
According to the Daily Beast, Winslow does not have a CDL or even a standard driver’s license.