Driver pulled over for upside down plates caught with 23 migrants

A truck driver was charged this week after getting caught attempting to smuggle migrants earlier this month. 

The migrants were discovered on August 19th near Encinal, Texas on Interstate 35. 

According to Border Report, Joseph Bridges was hauling a belly dump trailer on I-35 when he was pulled over by a Border Patrol agent who noticed the commercial vehicle had a temporary license plate posted upside down in the windshield. 

When asked, Bridges told the agents that the trailer was empty, but the agent called in the help of a K9 agent anyway. The K9 agent then alerted to the presence of contraband inside of the truck, and 23 migrants were found inside the sleeper berth. One of the people found inside of the cab was an unaccompanied minor. 

Agents then discovered that the tractor trailer was stolen, and placed Bridges under arrest. Bridges was charged with bringing in and harboring aliens. A hearing date has not yet been set for Bridges.