Border Patrol agents in Southern California discovered 11 Chinese nationals being smuggled through the United States-Mexico border.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, agents stopped a 42-year-old truck driver at the San Ysidro Port of entry, located near San Diego. When they inspected the truck, they found the 11 Chinese nationals hiding in various pieces of furniture and appliances.
One picture shows two people crammed into a washing machine. Another picture shows a third person packed into a wooden chest.
CBP officers found 11 Chinese nationals hidden inside furniture inside a moving truck at the San Ysidro port of entry: https://t.co/RQYSXjWLOH pic.twitter.com/zfrenKAHZJ
— CBP San Diego (@CBPSanDiego) December 10, 2019
The truck driver was detained on suspicion of human trafficking and is currently awaiting criminal proceedings. He's being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego for criminal and immigration proceedings.
“CBP cannot stress enough the dangers of smuggling people,” Pete Flores, CBP director of Field Operations for San Diego, said in a statement. “These are human beings that smugglers subject to inhumane conditions that could have deadly consequences. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.”
Just last month six Chinese nationals were discovered at the same port of entry. They, however, were hiding behind a fake wall inside of a moving truck. Again, the truck driver was a United States citizen.