A man hiding in the gas tank of a sports utility vehicle was discovered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents using an imaging device at an entry point in Southern California, according to
KNSD-TV in San Diego.
The 38-year-old Brazilian man was discovered in the gas tank on March 1 when the SUV arrived at the Calexico East Port of Entry and was ordered to another location so the vehicle could be examined.
Officers found "anomalies" in a gas tank located under the back seat and used an imaging device to find the hidden man, said KNSD-TV. The gas tank had been modified with a compartment to hold a large human.
The man had no legal documentation to enter the U.S. and was placed on "immigration hold."
The driver of the SUV was arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and transported to the Imperial County Jail for arraignment, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protections
news release.
"While the vast majority of the smuggling attempts uncovered at the port of entry involve citizens from the United States and Mexico, from time to time we do encounter smuggling attempts involving citizens from Central and South America, as well as other areas around the world," said David Salazar, acting port director for Calexico.
The Calexico Border Patrol Station manages 37.1 miles of the border and 731 square miles of Imperial County in the Sonoran Desert, according to the
station's website.
The Patrol Border said it caught more than 33,000 people crossing the Mexico border into California in fiscal year 2014.
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