HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas – Troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety discovered during a traffic stop last week that 27 illegal immigrants were being smuggled inside a horse trailer, authorities said.
The encounter occurred on US-281 in Hidalgo County on Friday when troopers stopped a Ford F-250 towing a horse trailer that was packed with people, DPS officials confirmed.
Lt. Chris Olivarez, a spokesman with Texas DPS, said the smuggler, identified as Jose Guadalupe Salinas of Palmview, Texas, gave troopers consent to look inside the trailer.
“Troopers discovered 27 illegal immigrants crammed inside a storage area, distressed and sweating profusely,” Olivarez said.
“Three females were severely dehydrated and required medical attention due to extreme heat and no ventilation,” the lieutenant continued. “Troopers referred 27 illegal immigrants from Mexico to the US Border Patrol. US Border Patrol took custody of Salinas and will be filing federal charges for the smuggling of persons.”
#NEW: 𝗧𝗫 𝗗𝗣𝗦 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝟮𝟳 𝗜𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿
5/24: A @TxDPS Trooper stopped a Ford F-250 towing a horse trailer on US-281 in Hidalgo County #RGV.
The smuggler, Jose Guadalupe Salinas from Palmview, Texas,… pic.twitter.com/FIzaZj8wU1
— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) May 29, 2024
According to video of the encounter, the driver initially claimed to have two horses inside the trailer before giving his consent to a search.
Salinas said, “Be careful, they are aggressive” before voluntarily opening the side gate for the trooper.
As of Feb. 2024, the US has recorded nearly 7.3 million illegal immigrants coming into the country since Joe Biden took office in 2021, according to data from US Customs and Border Protection.
This figure exceeds the population of 36 states, the New York Post reported.
Perhaps even more startling is that statistics do not reflect the large number of “gotaways,” those individuals who evaded border security.
