Border agents in California found 11 Chinese nationals hiding inside furniture and appliances that were inside a truck that was crossing the border from Mexico.
The truck was stopped by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, which is located in the city of San Diego.
Authorities stopped the truck, which was being driven by a 42-year-old man, who is a citizen of the United States of America.
Officers inspected the truck and referred the 42-year-old truck driver, whose identity was not shared with the public, for a more intensive secondary inspection.
Upon investigation, CBP Agents searched the truck and found 11 Chinese nationals packed inside pieces of furniture and appliances.
Images that were shared by the official’s show2 people squatting inside a washing machine and another crammed inside a wooden chest.
The driver was arrested and has been transferred to the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
The driver is facing human smuggling charges.
The 11 Chinese nationals were detained for pending criminal and immigration proceedings.
Pete Flores, the CBP Director of Field Operations for San Diego, released a statement about the incident, where he said, “CBP cannot stress enough the dangers of smuggling people.”
The statement added, “These are human beings that smugglers subject to inhumane conditions that could have deadly consequences. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.”