MAVERICK COUNTY, Texas — MAVERICK COUNTY, Texas—Caught on camera: Body camera footage from the Texas Dept. of Public shows the moment Troopers discover over a dozen migrants hiding in the back of a gravel hauler.
DPS says human smuggling continues to be an issue in Southwest Texas where they’re seeing a rise in cases.
Last Tuesday night—DPS dash cam shows a Trooper in pursuit of a semi-truck in Maverick County.
The truck finally comes to a stop after crashing into a fence. The driver runs away, but troopers found 17 migrants stowed away in the gravel hauler.
DPS officials said before the chase even started a migrant fell out of the truck and was run over. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Another high-speed chase caught on camera outside of Del Rio.
DPS said it happened Sunday night when the driver accused of human smuggling finally loses control and crashes into an electrical pole.
One of the migrants almost lost his ear in the crash, according to DPS officials.
That driver was arrested and charged with Human Smuggling. Three migrants were turned over to Border Patrol custody.
Border Patrol officials in the Del Rio Sector said agents stopped 89 smuggling attempts last week. Including one case where agents found 20 migrants locked in a tow trailer at the Eagle Pass Checkpoint.
DPS officials said they’re also seeing a rise in criminal organizations using airplanes to smuggle migrants.
In the Rio Grande Valley last month, DPS said smugglers tried to charter a flight to Houston with six migrants inside the plane. One of those migrants, officials said, had an outstanding warrant out of Wisconsin for sexual assault of a child.