Terri Ann Bush, Cross-Border Smuggling, Texas 2023

Semi-Truck Smuggling Ring Exposed

A 32-year-old Houston man has been caught red-handed in a shocking human trafficking case, pleading guilty to smuggling 119 aliens in a refrigerated trailer.

Brodrick Keith Rhodes, 32, was stopped at the Freer Border Patrol checkpoint on January 12, driving a semi-truck and refrigerated trailer claiming to be hauling lettuce.

However, authorities noticed discrepancies in his bill of lading and that he appeared nervous, with the trailer’s internal temperature reading 68 degrees despite being set to 30 degrees.

During a secondary inspection, law enforcement discovered 119 aliens in the trailer’s cargo area. The victims told authorities they had been taken to a truck and told to get in the trailer, which did not stop until it reached the checkpoint.

Rhodes claimed he worked for a business in La Porte, but the bill of lading indicated he was transporting lettuce from a Laredo produce company to a location in Sugar Land. The business confirmed they had no record of Rhodes’ employment or the shipment.

Rhodes faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a potential fine of up to $250,000. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing on July 27. Rhodes was permitted to remain on bond pending the hearing.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison is prosecuting the case.

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