A man was arrested near Laredo, Texas on Thursday for attempting to smuggle 12 undocumented immigrants in a fake border patrol SUV. The Border Patrol chief called it a "desperate measure," as passengers were piled on top of each other in the Chevrolet Tahoe, according to ABC News.
"To a casual observer, the cloned vehicle appeared to be a law enforcement vehicle conducting official business, but to the observant Border Patrol agent, something was not quite right," according to a statement issued by the Customs and Border Patrol. "After further investigation, the agents determined that the four-door vehicle had been cloned to look like an official Border Patrol vehicle in an attempt to conceal a human smuggling attempt."
A Border Patrol agent noticed the vehicle looked suspicious and began to follow it while coordinating a stop with other agents. The vehicle was stopped on Interstate Highway 35, and agents soon noticed "numerous subjects" who were "crammed inside," according to UPI.
The investigation is ongoing, according to ABC News.
Chief of the Laredo Sector Border Patrol, Mario Martinez, wrote in the statement: "As we continue to monitor security along the border and in adjacent communities, smugglers have resorted to desperate measures to conduct their illicit business. The training, attention to detail and vigilance of our Border Patrol agents halted this human smuggling attempt. We encourage public and private sector employees to remain vigilant and play a key role in keeping our country safe."
