Texas state authorities busted a Mississippi man upon discovery of 17 illegal aliens packed into a hidden room in a box truck branded with corporate logos to make it look like a commercial vehicle. Police released body cam footage that showed them opening a hidden door within the back of the truck and unloading over a dozen people who had been jammed inside.
Cezanne Megel Patternson, 28, was slapped with human trafficking charges. The charges were modified due to the dangerous conditions and risk of bodily harm faced by his victims.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) published a press statement that explained how their officers were conducting a traffic stop on what they believed was a Lowe’s Home Improvement delivery vehicle on US-277, near Del Rio, Texas very early in the morning August 30.
Responding officers noticed several inconsistencies with Patterson’s claims about his travel plans as well as the truck’s registration being expired.
Further inspection of the vehicle revealed a hidden door in the back of the cargo area, near the cab of the truck. Police used a crowbar to open the compartment and found 17 illegals inside a tiny space just 3 feet wide. There was also no ventilation in the space.
DPS reported 13 men and four women were found inside the truck. They added that the individuals came from a range of countries including the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Columbia, and Guatemala.
Officials said that they treated the illegals for dehydration and handed them off to Border Patrol for processing.
The issue highlights ongoing criminal activity related to the porous southern border. The border crisis has expanded to include problems at the northern border and is one of the major issues in the 2024 presidential race.
Kamala Harris’ campaign has attempted to hoist the platform onto their brand with minimal success. Donald Trump’s campaign recently ripped their claims to be interested in border security as “total bulls***” and called it “preposterous.”
