Kansas man arrested after Border Patrol finds 24 people inside cold trailer

A Kansas man was arrested at the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint after agents discovered 24 people illegally present in the country, which included a 4-year-old boy, inside a 35-degree refrigerated trailer, according to a criminal complaint.

Robert Monkel was charged with knowingly and with reckless disregard transporting people illegally present in the United States.

At about 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, Border Patrol agents working at the Falfurrias checkpoint encountered a tractor-trailer approaching the primary inspection lane.

Monkel had the manifest in his hand and was expeditiously reading what was written on the manifest which, according to the complaint, is a common tactic utilized by human smuggling organizations to expedite the inspection.

Agents utilized a K-9 unit in order to conduct a non-intrusive free air sniff of the tractor-trailer resulting in an alert and Monkel being sent to a secondary inspection.

The plastic seal attached to the doors was cut and agents discovered 24 people concealed on top of pallets of produce, including the 4-year-old boy and his mother.

They were all determined to be illegally present in the U.S. and were from several countries including Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

“[One agent] documented that he observed ice on the pallets of produce and observed the reefer temperature was set at 35 degrees Fahrenheit,” the complaint said.

Monkel and the 24 individuals were detained.

A search of the truck resulted in agents finding a handgun and ammunition inside a bag in the sleeper. The gun was not loaded at the time of discovery.

Homeland Security Investigations special agents conducted an investigation of the tractor-trailer, revealing that this was the first time the truck arrived at the checkpoint in two years.

The manifest also showed the produce had been picked up at USA Mex Cold Solutions LLC in McAllen on Nov. 6.

When agents contacted the shipping manager, they advised that they hand out all seals to the driver after loading the product and that after watching the video surveillance footage of them loading the trailer, that only produce was loaded into the trailer.

The shipping manager also made a copy of surveillance footage to provide to HSI, the complaint said.

A records check on Monkel revealed he had crossed the Progresso port of entry inbound on Nov. 3 and 5.

One of the individuals found inside the trailer stated to authorities that the driver of the tractor was a Hispanic male who instructed him and other individuals to get in the trailer and climb a ladder to get on top of the produce.

Another person said they were taken to a produce warehouse where he was loaded into the trailer. He stated it was dark and couldn’t see, but that there were people there prior to him getting in.

That individual later retracted his statement saying that he never said he was loaded at a produce warehouse, but that he was loaded into the trailer near a home, according to the complaint.

Monkel requested an attorney and did not provide a statement.

He’s scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason B. Libby in Corpus Christi federal court Tuesday morning for his initial appearance.

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