In a traffic stop turned human smuggling bust, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) apprehended a man sought for sexual assault and charged him with smuggling persons near Laredo, Texas. According to the DPS, the incident occurred early on the morning of February 12, when a DPS trooper pulled over a 2011 International truck tractor on South Zapata Highway and Riverhill Loop for a traffic violation.
The driver, identified as Junior Adalid Montoya-Alvarez, 49, and several passengers attempted to flee on foot towards the brush. The DPS, along with other agencies, launched a search that resulted in the capture of a total of seven individuals who were determined to be illegal immigrants from Guatemala and Mexico. In the chaos, they referred them to Border Patrol for further processing.
Further investigation revealed that Montoya-Alvarez, a Honduran national with lawful permanent status, was not just any driver, but was also wanted by Harris County for sexual assault. The man now faces human smuggling charges in addition to answering the outstanding allegations in Harris Co.
Operation Lone Star (OLS), a coordinated effort to combat smuggling and other illegal activities along the Texas-Mexico border, led to the traffic stop that uncovered this operation. The DPS statement did not disclose the specifics of the traffic violation that initiated the stop nor provide details on the conditions of the smuggled individuals at the time of their discovery.
