VON ORMY, Texas – Three men were arrested on human smuggling charges after traffic stops in Von Ormy, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.
On Wednesday night, the sheriff’s office said undercover deputies were conducting surveillance at a Love’s gas station after receiving a tip of a possible 18-wheeler involved in a human smuggling case traveling from Laredo toward San Antonio.
Around 11:25 p.m. Wednesday, deputies saw a gray Chevrolet Tahoe with Texas plates “parked suspiciously near the pumps,” the sheriff’s office said, noting the Tahoe was linked to an address previously associated with multiple human smuggling cases.
The Tahoe left and later stopped near an 18-wheeler behind a nearby Valero gas station. The sheriff’s office said that after a brief interaction, the vehicles left in opposite directions.
Deputies conducted a traffic stop on the Tahoe and identified the driver as Juan Hernandez Balderas. The sheriff’s office said a passenger was detained and later identified as the victim.
“During the investigation, the victim admitted he was being smuggled into the United States and had recently crossed the border before being transported toward San Antonio,” the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies determined there was probable cause for smuggling of persons charges, and the two were taken in for further investigation, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies also conducted another traffic stop on the 18-wheeler near Interstate 35 and Loop 1604. The sheriff’s office said both the driver, Alfredo Israel Juarez Flores, and the passenger, Alejandro Cantero Chavez, “gave conflicting accounts of their presence at the Valero.”
The sheriff’s office said evidence indicated the two were involved in the smuggling operation. The suspects were taken for further questioning and later booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on the following charges:
- Alfredo Israel Juarez Flores: Engaging in organized criminal activity (F1) and smuggling of persons – pecuniary benefit (F2)
- Juan Hernandez Balderas: Engaging in organized criminal activity (F2) and smuggling of persons (F3)
- Alejandro Cantero Chavez: Engaging in organized criminal activity (F2) and Smuggling of Persons – Pecuniary Benefit (F3)
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