A Houston man has been charged with smuggling 40 people in a box truck found near Hebbronville, Texas, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The suspect, Kenneth Gamboa, 25, is scheduled for his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian Bajew. Several others facing illegal reentry charges related to the incident are also set to appear in federal court.
According to the criminal complaint, Gamboa arrived at a Border Patrol checkpoint on Farm to Market Road 1017 in Jim Hogg County during the early morning hours of August 15. He was allegedly driving a box truck with paper license plates. A K-9 unit at the primary inspection alerted agents to possible humans or narcotics inside the cargo area. An x-ray scan reportedly showed what appeared to be people standing together in the storage section of the truck.
Investigators discovered a false wall toward the front of the cargo area that created a hidden compartment. The complaint states that multiple boards were screwed shut to prevent those inside from escaping on their own. Authorities removed the screws and found 40 individuals behind the false wall.
Law enforcement determined that 26 of those found had previously been removed from the United States and now face charges of illegal reentry, which could result in prison terms of up to 20 years.
If convicted, Gamboa faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio with assistance from Border Patrol and ICE-HSI Houston. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tory Sailer is prosecuting the case.
"This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime," according to officials involved in Operation Take Back America. "Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood."
Officials remind that a criminal complaint is only an accusation; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due process.
