Truck driver charged with alien smuggling (Arizona Daily Star)

Truck driver charged with alien smuggling

By Xxxxxxxxx
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.28.2009

A California man authorities said was caught last month driving a refrigerated truck that held 97 illegal immigrants was indicted Wednesday on six federal alien-smuggling charges.

Luis Antonio Mendoza, 26, is charged with five counts of transportation of illegal aliens for profit and one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit, according to the indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Tucson.

Mendoza was arrested July 29 after an Arizona Department of Public Safety officer pulled over the truck he was driving north from Mexico near Rio Rico, court records show.

Mendoza told the officer his truck contained 17 pallets of mangoes, which were to be kept in a refrigerated area with a maintained temperature of 34 degrees, court records show.

When DPS officials opened up the truck they found 97 illegal immigrants.

Mendoza told authorities he thought there were only 15 people in the back of the truck, and that he'd been hired to drive to Eloy and would be paid $300 per person, court records show.

Mendoza is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 10 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bernardo Velasco.