LAREDO, TX — A 25-year-old Houston resident was arrested Friday after authorities discovered 40 people hidden behind a false compartment in a box truck he was allegedly driving through a Border Patrol checkpoint in Jim Hogg County, with many of the migrants locked inside and unable to escape.
Kenneth Gamboa was taken into federal custody after a canine unit alerted agents to possible human cargo during a primary inspection on Farm to Market Road 1017, near Hebbronville. Court documents allege that a follow-up x-ray scan revealed numerous individuals standing shoulder-to-shoulder behind a false wall at the front of the truck’s storage area.
Agents uncovered a hidden compartment sealed with multiple screwed-down boards, preventing those inside from exiting without outside assistance. Officers reportedly had to remove the screws to reach the trapped group.
Of the 40 individuals found, 26 were identified as having previously been deported from the United States and now face felony charges for illegal reentry. Each of those migrants could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Gamboa, who was allegedly operating the truck with paper license plates, is charged with alien smuggling. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
He is expected to make his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian Bajew. The investigation remains ongoing.
––
Key Points
- Kenneth Gamboa was arrested near Hebbronville after agents found 40 migrants hidden in a sealed compartment
- Authorities discovered a false wall screwed shut inside the truck’s cargo area, with no exit for those trapped
- 26 of the migrants now face federal charges for illegal reentry into the United States
Migrants trapped behind false wall as Houston man caught in smuggling sting near Texas checkpoint
