A Houston commercial truck driver has pleaded guilty to transporting 24 undocumented immigrants inside a tractor-trailer after claiming he was hauling a load of carrots, according to federal prosecutors.
Rodney William Gipson, 61, admitted he knowingly, or with reckless disregard, transported the undocumented immigrants despite having nearly 30 years of experience as a commercial truck driver, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas said.
According to prosecutors, Gipson drove the tractor-trailer to the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Falfurrias, Texas, on Feb. 19 and told agents he was transporting a shipment from the Rio Grande Valley to Houston. A Border Patrol K-9 alerted officers to the rear of the trailer, prompting a secondary inspection.
During the inspection, agents discovered 24 undocumented immigrants concealed inside the trailer. Investigators also found cargo documents indicating the truck was supposed to be transporting carrots.
Gipson remains free on bond pending sentencing before U.S. District Judge David S. Morales. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and a possible fine of up to $250,000.
Smuggling organizations often attempt to conceal people inside trailers carrying or purportedly carrying legitimate freight, creating significant safety risks for those being transported while exposing truck drivers to lengthy prison sentences, federal prosecutors said.
Why it matters: The case underscores how commercial freight equipment is sometimes exploited by smuggling organizations, exposing drivers and carriers to severe criminal penalties.
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