Peering through small vent, TX border agents find 40 people sealed inside metal box

A truck pulling a flatbed trailer was making its way through a border patrol checkpoint in Texas on Tuesday, April 26, when a K-9 alerted agents that something was suspicious, according to Customs and Border Protection officials.

The truck, which was hauling large metal-sided boxes, was directed to a secondary inspection area and agents took a closer look at the cargo, a CBP release said.

Agents at the Falfurrias checkpoint removed a small vent on the side of one of the boxes and peered through, revealing 40 migrants “trapped inside” the sealed container, the release said.

Falfurrias is roughly 76 miles north of the border city of McAllen.

Aside from the vent gap, there were no openings on the box and no way for the people inside to get out. The only way to open the box was to dismantle it.

“The metal sided box had to be broken apart by unscrewing multiple bolts using a power tool found in the truck,” the release said.

Aside from the power tool, agents also found a handgun and spare magazines, all loaded, in the truck.

The migrants, who had traveled from Mexico and Central America, were arrested. The driver was taken into custody by the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office, CBP said.

This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 9:53 AM with the headline "Peering through small vent, TX border agents find 40 people sealed inside metal box."