A Honduran national has been charged in federal court on charges he knowingly attempted to smuggle 51 illegal aliens in a refrigerated semi-tractor trailer near the Mexican border near Freer, Texas. The suspect is now facing up to ten years in federal prison.
Nicholas J. Ganjei, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, provided details of the case in a Friday press release that also highlighted some of the more than 230 criminal cases filed in Laredo, Texas, during the last week of November.
According to court records, Alexis Pinot-Duarte made his appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Quiroga shortly after his arrest by Border Patrol agents in Freer, Texas, on November 22. Pinot-Duarte allegedly drove the semi-tractor trailer into the Border Patrol checkpoint and was directed to a secondary inspection area where a Border Patrol Canine alerted to the presence of humans or narcotics in the refrigerated trailer being pulled by the tractor.
According to court records, Pinot-Duarte was referred to the secondary inspection area after Border Patrol agents noticed suspicious behavior, including providing unprompted information and repeatedly stating he was hauling bananas as he attempted to hand paperwork to the inspecting agents.
During an inspection of the trailer carrying produce, Border Patrol agents found 51 illegal aliens hidden under boxes of produce in the 55-degree refrigerated compartment. Among the 51 illegal aliens were two juveniles. Border Patrol agents discovered the illegal aliens after spotting the silhouette of a person through a plywood compartment under the boxes, according to the United States Attorney’s office.
According to the Border Patrol, the smuggled aliens did not have jackets or means to stay warm and complained of numbed or cramped limbs due to the constraints of the small compartment they were found in. The compartment allowed only one person to exit at a time, further enhancing the danger to those inside, according to the complaint.
If convicted, Pinot-Duarte could face up to ten years in prison for the felony charge of transporting illegal aliens, which also carries the potential for a maximum fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations unit with the assistance of the U.S. Border Patrol. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas is one of the busiest border-prosecution districts in the United States, representing 43 counties in an area with more than 9 million residents.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X @RandyClarkBBTX.
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