Blog

May 12, 2023

Laredo Sector USBP agents apprehend truck driver, 11 migrants

U.S. Border Patrol. A man had 11 migrants in the sleeper of his tractor,

U.S. Border Patrol.

A man had 11 migrants in the sleeper of his tractor, according to an arrest affidavit.

Johnny Sinclair Pugh was arrested on the charges of transport, attempt to transport and conspire to transport migrants.

A white tractor hauling a flatbed trailer arrived at the Interstate 35 checkpoint at about 12:30 p.m. May 20.

Agents identified the driver as Pugh. Then, a K-9 unit alerted to the presence of concealed people or narcotics, according to court documents.

The vehicle was referred to secondary inspection. An inspection of the tractor resulted in the discovery of 11 migrants hiding in the sleeper area, states the affidavit.

Pugh and the migrants were taken into custody and escorted inside the checkpoint for further processing. The migrants were from Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico.

In a post-arrest interview, Pugh stated he contacted an individual before departing Houston. Pugh usually contacts the individual when he needs work, according to court documents.

Pugh added that the individual had offered him $600 to deliver a tractor and a flatbed trailer to San Antonio, states the affidavit.

Pugh was instructed to pick up the vehicle at a location where the tractor was running with the keys in the ignition. He did a pre-trip inspection but did not check the sleeper area of the cab, according to the affidavit.

Members of the community are encouraged to report suspicious activity by calling 1-800-343-1994.