A federal grand jury has indicted four individuals for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to transport dozens of migrants in a locked trailer from Eagle Pass, Texas, to Houston.
The investigation began after authorities received reports of suspicious activity around a semi-truck trailer parked in a business lot in Eagle Pass. Border Patrol agents observed individuals being dropped off by a green Chevrolet Tahoe and entering the trailer. The Tahoe returned to drop off more people, prompting a coordinated response from Homeland Security Investigations agents, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, and Maverick County Sheriff’s deputies.
During the operation, a Nissan Altima fled the scene but was pursued and stopped by DPS troopers, leading to the arrest of driver Jesus Angel Martinez. The green Tahoe was also located and its driver, Francisco Javier Vasquez, was arrested without incident. Authorities then discovered 27 migrants in or near the trailer and took them, along with the drivers, to a U.S. Border Patrol station for investigation.
Subsequent surveillance led agents to a white Toyota Corolla at a local motel, where two individuals, identified as Joshua Dorsh and Troy Allen Slaughter, admitted to being paid $10,000 to transport migrants in the trailer from Eagle Pass to Houston. Vasquez and Martinez allegedly confessed to being paid between $1,500 and $3,000 to transport migrants to the trailer.
The indictment charges Dorsh, Slaughter, Martinez, and Vasquez with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and transportation of illegal aliens while placing lives in jeopardy. This underscores the dangers migrants face when transported in locked trailer boxes over long distances.