Laredo Sector USBP agents found 5 migrants in cargo van

U.S. Border Patrol.

Five migrants were found concealed in a compartment within several sheets of plywood, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.

Guadalupe Rodriguez Jr. was arrested on the charges of transport, attempt to transport and conspire to transport.

At about 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18, a white van arrived at the primary inspection lane of the Interstate 35 checkpoint. Authorities identified the driver as Rodriguez.

Asked if he could open the back doors of the van, Rodriguez stated that the doors were locked and could not be opened. A K-9 unit then alerted to the odor of people or narcotics within the van, according to court documents.

Agents referred Rodriguez to secondary inspection. Agents inspected the cargo area and discovered several sheets of plywood stacked on top of each other.

Then, an X-ray inspection of the vehicle yielded anomalies which resembled people inside the sheets of plywood, authorities said.

Agents removed several sheets of plywood and discovered five people concealed in a hollowed out compartment within the sheets of plywood, states the arrest affidavit.

Homeland Security Investigations responded to take over the case. In a post-arrest interview, Rodriguez stated he works as a delivery driver for an unknown company.

Rodriguez further stated he makes contact with an individual he identified as “Boss.” He added he commutes from Houston to Laredo to deliver construction material to unknown job sites using a cargo van.

Rodriguez added that he arrived in Laredo on Sept. 17. He then dropped off the van at a warehouse and walked back to his hotel. The next day, someone dropped off the van loaded with the material at the parking lot of his hotel.