Two Texans residents, Mac Quese Howard and De Richardson Miller, have pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle migrants into the United States by driving them through Laredo, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.
The men were apprehended after trying to avoid a Border Patrol checkpoint near Laredo. During a traffic stop for a violation, agents discovered three migrants hidden in the back seat of their car.
Upon arrest, Howard and Miller admitted they had traveled from their hometown near Lubbock to pick up the migrants in Laredo, intending to drive them to San Antonio. They expected to be paid $5,000 for the job. Both now face up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.
Human smuggling incidents like this are frequent in Texas. Earlier in May, authorities found a dozen migrants concealed inside hollowed-out hay bales during a routine traffic stop.
Fayette County Sheriff Keith Korenek said deputies pulled over a pickup truck hauling a trailer stacked with bales around 90 miles east of San Antonio. On closer inspection, officials discovered the hay bales had been “meticulously altered” to create hidden compartments.
Inside those compartments, authorities found a metal frame structure and multiple undocumented individuals packed into tight, dangerous spaces. The vehicle’s driver was taken to a hospital, while two suspects believed to be behind the smuggling operation were arrested and now face both federal and state charges. The migrants were transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for processing.
