14 migrants found locked in trailer during Arizona drug bust
SAHUARITA, Ariz. - Arizona troopers reportedly discovered 14 migrants locked inside a trailer along with dozens of pounds of narcotics during a traffic stop on Interstate 19 last month.
On May 25, a trooper pulled over a tractor-trailer on I-19 northbound in Sahuarita and found "multiple indicators of criminal activity."
The 14 migrants were found in the unrefrigerated trailer with only a single bottle of water. They received medical attention before being turned over to Border Patrol, according to the Arizona Dept. of Public Safety.
"Temperatures in enclosed trailers can be up to 30 degrees hotter than the outdoor temperature," officials said in a statement. "The high in Sahuarita on May 25th was approximately 95 degrees, putting the trailer’s occupants at serious risk of heat-related illness."
A search of the cab allegedly revealed 14.25 pounds of fentanyl powder and 12.55 pounds of cocaine.
The truck driver, 30-year-old Eduardo Hernandez, was booked into Pima County Jail.
The Nogales resident is accused of drug possession and transportation, along with 14 counts of endangerment.
Sahuarita, Arizona: