Houston man arrested for smuggling 40 migrants through South Texas

HOUSTON, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A Houston resident has been charged for his involvement in a smuggling attempt through South Texas.

Kenneth Gamboa, 25, was arrested in Jim Hogg County during an inspection at a Border Patrol checkpoint on Aug. 15.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Gamboa was driving a box truck through the checkpoint, allegedly driving a box truck loaded with paper plates.

During the inspection, a K9 alerted to the presence of humans in the cargo area of the vehicle.

An X-ray scan allegedly revealed what appeared to be people standing next to each other in the storage area of the truck.

Federal agents then discovered a false wall in the storage area of the box truck and a hidden compartment, according to the DOJ.

The DOJ says the hidden area was screwed shut with multiple boards to prevent any migrants from leaving the box truck on their own.

Inside the hidden area, authorities discovered 40 people behind the false wall.

Authorities determined that 26 of the 40 migrants had allegedly been previously removed from the United States.

The 26 people now face charges of illegal reentry into the United States and possible prison terms of up to 20 years.   

If convicted, Gamboa faces up to 10 years in prison.