Teenager arrested for human smuggling in El Centro

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY)-Border Patrol agents arrested a 16-year-old on Thursday afternoon after attempting to smuggle seven undocumented immigrants in a truck.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said a concerned citizen called reporting a dump truck suspected of human smuggling near Holt Avenue and Orange Avenue.

After the call, agents located the dump truck and questioned the 16-year-old juvenile who admitted driving seven undocumented men in the rear cargo of the truck.

Agents searched the truck and found the men, all adult Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States. 

The teenage driver and the men were placed under arrest and were transported to the El Centro station for further processing.

The driver was processed administratively for human smuggling and was released to his father.

The men were sent back to their country of origin.