A Huntsville man has been arrested in east Texas on charges of human smuggling.
According to the Kilgore (Texas) News Herald, Adan Torres-Ramirez, 30, has been charged by Kilgore police with six counts of smuggling of persons. He is being held in the Gregg County Jail on $600,000 bond.
Kilgore (Texas) police said the arrest came after police responded to a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 20 East on Saturday at about 11:52 p.m.
Officers said they found seven people inside a red 2015 Ford SUV, all of the passengers being Mexican nationals. Police said the investigation revealed that the driver was taking six people to Florida for work. The six had only been in the U.S. a few months and none knew the driver, police said.
Investigators said the passengers provided detailed statements as to how they came to be in the country, and how much the driver and his boss were charging them for locating work, traveling and lodging. The passengers were provided food and lodging, police said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was notified.