FORT WORTH, Texas – A trucker was jailed after 79 illegal immigrants were found in the trailer of his Dallas-bound 18-wheeler during a traffic stop.
Alvin Auxter, 52, was stopped Sunday morning on Interstate 20 at Interstate 820 in southwest Fort Worth. He was held on suspicion of human smuggling (search) and was to appear Monday in federal court, said Fort Worth police and U.S. Border Patrol (search) officials.
The truck was taking the immigrants from El Paso to Dallas when a state law officer saw the vehicle didn't display required state identification numbers, said Trooper John Forrest of the Texas Department of Public Safety (search).
Law officers who opened the trailer found it was unventilated and the interior was hot. But the immigrants inside had drinking water and appeared to be in good shape, officials said. Outside temperatures at the time of the traffic stop were in the upper 70s.
The immigrants were taken to a processing center in Euless for probable return to Mexico, Fort Worth police Capt. Harry Jones said.
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