Laredo man indicted for smuggling 101 people in locked tractor trailer

A Texas resident is facing charges related to a large-scale human smuggling attempt using a tractor trailer, authorities say.

Juan Manuel Aguirre, 49, of Laredo, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to transport an undocumented alien within the United States and the transportation of an undocumented alien within the United States for financial gain, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on December 2, 2024.

Officials say that law enforcement spotted a large number of individuals being loaded into a trailer in a warehouse parking lot.

“After the white truck that was hauling it departed the location, authorities conducted a traffic stop, according to the charges. A search allegedly resulted in the discovery of 101 non-U.S. citizens locked inside the trailer, including 12 unaccompanied children. The charges further allege two reported they had difficulty breathing and feared for their life due to the conditions in the trailer,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Aguirre faces up to 10 years in prison for each of the three counts and fines of up to $250,000 if he is convicted.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety, Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Webb County Sheriff’s Office.