The driver and passenger of a tractor trailer are facing federal charges after they sped away from a Border Patrol checkpoint before having to stop after their vehicle caught fire.
Bodycam footage published by WFAA-TV showed police officers frantically trying to open the trailer doors to save the dozens of suspected illegal aliens inside.
All of the migrants were pulled to safety, and no one was harmed.
On June 4 at about 8:36 p.m., Jairo Julian Holguin-Florentino was driving the tractor trailer through the Falfurrias checkpoint before a service canine alerted police to the possible presence of trafficked migrants.
The driver sped away on Highway 281 instead of stopping for a secondary inspection, and various agencies gave chase.
Police used spikes to flatten the vehicle’s tires in an attempt to stop the driver, but he continued to drive on the rims and the vehicle caught fire.
The driver and passenger were dragged out of the cab and arrested when police said they heard screaming coming from the locked cargo trailer of the burning vehicle.
Video showed officers rescuing dozens of migrants as smoke and fire engulfed the trailer. All of the migrants were pulled to safety, and no one was harmed.
Officials later said there were 39 rescued illegal aliens who were from Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.
The Texas Department of Safety published video of body camera footage from the incident on its YouTube channel.
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“This case highlights the serious risks associated with human smuggling, including dangerous and life-threatening conditions inside concealed vehicles,” reads a statement from the U.S. Border Patrol about the incident.
Holguin-Florentino is the father-in-law of the passenger who was arrested, Cristian Johansel Mirambeaux-Martinez.
“This incident is a reminder of the dangerous lengths human smugglers will go to when engaging in this criminal activity, and DPS is proud to work with our federal partners, like [U.S. Border Patrol], to stop them,” reads a statement from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
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