Human smugglers crash car carrying 12 migrants in Texas after high-speed chase
Texas officials warn of an increase in high-speed pursuits in border communities.
A suspected human smuggler carrying a dozen illegal immigrants inside his vehicle has been taken into custody after leading authorities in Texas on a high-speed chase that ended in a dramatic crash.
Photos captured by Fox News show a group of migrants being detained outside of a home in McAllen, Texas, on Saturday next to a vehicle that has a front wheel missing.
The crash ended after the vehicle rammed through a gate outside of this home in McAllen, Texas. (Bill Melugin/Fox News)
The suspected smuggler – who has not been identified – was caught by Texas State Troopers and Border Patrol agents after ramming through a gate surrounding a home in a quiet residential neighborhood, Fox News has learned.
The man tried to escape on foot, but is now facing evading and human smuggling charges.
The vehicle carrying the migrants sustained heavy damage. (Bill Melugin/Fox News)
The chase lasted around 40 minutes. Investigators tell Fox News that it started in nearby Mission, where a red Lincoln Navigator was spotted loaded up with the migrants.
During the chase, the driver of the vehicle lost his left wheel after running through a spike strip deployed by state troopers.
It was not immediately clear where the vehicle originated from. (Bill Melugin/Fox News)
But investigators say he kept on going, driving on the rim for six miles.
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The driver attempted to flee on foot, but was taken into custody. (Bill Melugin/Fox News)
Some of the migrants that spoke to Fox News after being apprehended said they were from El Salvador – and all of them have been handed over to U.S. Border Patrol, officials say.
The Texas Department of Public Safety tells Fox News it has seen a sharp increase in the number of human smuggler pursuits, with more than 370 happening since the start of March.
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