Florida man is accused of human smuggling after leading Texas cops on a wild high-speed pursuit
By: A Florida man is now accused of human smuggling after leading Texas cops on a wild high-speed pursuit near the southern border with Mexico on February 7. The driver drove off the road and into oncoming traffic while racing at speeds exceeding 100 mph.
Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez released the video showing troopers in pursuit of a suspected human smuggling vehicle in Val Verde County. The driver refused to yield and led police on a pursuit that came to an end when the driver drove off the road and fled on foot.
During the pursuit, the driver is seen making very dangerous maneuvers to avoid tire deflation devices and sneak around the police. In one maneuver, the driver went off the roadway at high speed and drove around police attempting to use the tire deflation devices.
One trooper, assigned to Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, announced over the radio that the driver allegedly swerved toward a sheriff’s deputy. He did not appear to make contact with the deputy or any other vehicle. The pursuit continued at speeds in excess of 100 mph, officials stated.
After avoiding three deflation devices, the driver drove into oncoming traffic and finally drove off the road and fled into the brush.
The video shows troopers, assigned to Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, securing the four migrants found in the vehicle while other officers pursued the suspect on foot into the brush. Police eventually located the driver and took him into custody.
Officials identified the driver as a Florida resident.
The driver now faced state charges for smuggling of persons and evading arrest.
The nationality of the migrants was not disclosed in the report. The troopers turned the migrants over to Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents.