The Texas Department of Public Safety arrested 66-year-old Manuel Gonzalez Rodriguez for an immigration violation and federal charges for human smuggling.
The Texas Deputies rescued the 46 migrants who were allegedly smuggled into Texas. The migrants were found inside a stash house of Gonzales, a Mexican national, in Laredo, Texas.
Fox News reports that officers entered Gonzalez’s home after noticing a “suspicious activity” on February 22. Gonzalez’s home is near the U.S.–Mexico border in South Texas.
Yahoo News reports officers found 46 illegal immigrants, including 14 women and 32 men from Mexico and Guatemala.
Gonzales will face charges of human smuggling and will be imprisoned for two years and ten years if found guilty. As reported in The Texas Tribune, Gonzales might be fined up to $10,000 if found guilty.
Texas’ Operation Lone Star were able to locate the home of Manuel Gonzales Rodriguez, suspected of human smuggling of more than 40 migrants. (Photo: Yahoo News)
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Texas DPS was able to locate the Gonzalez’s stash house as part of Operation Lone Star – launched by Gov. Gregg Abbott to address the surge of migrant encounters and cases of human smuggling at the southern border. The operation led to more than 23,000 arrests, seized more than 354 million fentanyl, and apprehended more than 336,000 migrants last year.
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