Texas trucker sentenced to prison for transporting 98 people in sealed reefer trailer

A Texas-based truck driver was sentenced to federal prison this week after pleading guilty to human smuggling charges.

On October 5, Othell Corneilous Brown, 46, was sentenced to 41 months in prison, immediately to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

On April 29, Brown drove a truck through a Border Patrol checkpoint on I-35 in Texas. A canine unit alerted to the vehicle, which was then referred for a secondary inspection.

According to a news release, “law enforcement had to use a metal grinder to unseal the doors and discovered 98 undocumented individuals inside the refrigerated trailer.”

Brown later admitted that he had transported loads of humans for the same organizer on previous occasions.

Brown pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to transport non-U.S. citizens on June 28.

“At the [sentencing] hearing, the court heard additional testimony that detailed Brown’s prior training as a truck driver and whether it assisted him in the smuggling attempt. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Brown was extremely lucky that nobody was injured or killed during the smuggling attempt as it would have resulted in a much higher sentence,” the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol conducted the investigation.