A Houston man has pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to smuggle illegal aliens onboard a tractor-trailer truck, according to authorities.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick said in a press release that Joshua Abraham Andrus, 30, pleaded guilty as charged. Andrus reportedly admitted to attempting to transport illegal aliens hidden onboard an 18-wheeler he was driving.
Back on March 22, 2017, authorities said Andrus drove his truck to a Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias. There, a service canine alerted to the trailer, in which agents encountered a group of 15 illegal aliens hidden behind a load of produce.
Agents said the subjects were found locked inside the refrigerated trailer in temperatures of 56 degrees.
Andrus remains on bond pending his sentencing hearing, which had not yet been set at time of writing. He’ll face up to five years in federal prison and up to $250,000 in fines.
