67 immigrants, including 8-year-old to 13-year-old boy, found in truck bed in Texas

Alpine, Texas – More than 60 migrants were found in the bed of a cargo truck stopped on a highway in the Big Bend region of West Texas, authorities said Wednesday.

Driver Javier Duarte, 22, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, was arrested on charges of illegally transporting migrants and helping convicted criminals to re-enter the country illegally, according to a statement issued by the federal prosecutor. West Texas.

Read also: More than 80 immigrants traveled crammed into a cargo truck stopped in San Antonio

Border Patrol agents found 67 migrants in the truck bed during an inspection at a checkpoint on Texas State Highway 118 located 12 miles (19 kilometers) south of Alpine, or about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of El Paso. Four migrants were children between the ages of 8 and 13, another three had convictions for serious crimes of rape, drug possession and crimes involving moral turpitude, the prosecution said.

Duarte’s attorney could not be reached. If convicted of both charges, he could be sentenced to up to 10 years in federal prison.

Read also: Dallas man driving truck with 41 crammed migrants found in San Antonio