Thirty-year veteran truck driver admits to smuggling 24 people in load manifested as carrots

A Texas-based truck driver has admitted to his role in a major human smuggling attempt that was intercepted by U.S. Border Patrol agents.

Rodney William Gipson, 61, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty to transporting illegal aliens, according to a July 21 release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

“…Gipson admitted that, despite nearly 30 years as a commercial truck driver, he knew or recklessly disregarded the fact he was illegally transporting two dozen illegal aliens in his truck,” officials said.

The charges stem from a February 19, 2026, incident at the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 281. Gipson told agents that he was hauling a load from the Rio Grande Valley to Houston.

A canine unit alerted to Gipson’s trailer, and a secondary inspection was conducted. Officers found 24 people hidden inside the trailer, as well as ” a cargo document showing the truck was supposed to be hauling a load of carrots.”

After pleading guilty, Gipson was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing. He faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

This case was investigated by Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.