Anthony Alfred Boring of Houston faces up to 20 years in prison for packing more than 140 undocumented immigrants into a locked trailer and transporting them into the U.S., according to the Department of Justice.
The 73-year-old pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport an undocumented alien. He was was caught at an Interstate 35 border checkpoint just north of Laredo on April 15.
Anthony Alfred Boring / US Border Crossing at LaredoPhoto: U.S. Justice Department / Texas A&M University
When asked by authorities what was in the trailer he replied, "I don't know."
Once the trailer was unlocked, authorities found 145 people inside - 86 from Mexico, 49 Guatemalans, five Hondurans, three from El Salvador and two from Ecuador.
There was no drinking water in the trailer, and the interior was extremely hot.
In addition to the potential prison time, Boring faces a fine of up to $250,000.
Meanwhile, 51 migrants are now reported dead after authorities discovered an abandoned tractor-trailer in southwest San Antonio Monday night.
Initially, 46 migrants were found dead in the trailer with 16 others — including four children — taken to local hospitals with heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Nearly 100 people were packed inside the trailer, which was found near Cassin Drive and Quintana Road, south of Lackland Air Force Base. A worker at a nearby building had heard people inside it and opened the rear doors.
The tractor-trailer had a refrigeration system that did not appear to be working, officials said.
Federal authorities have reportedly arrested three people in connection with the incident. Among them is Homero Zamorano, 45, who has addresses in Houston and the Rio Grande Valley.