Chicago man arrested in Texas human smuggling case

LAREDO, Texas — A Chicago man has been arrested and charged with transporting undocumented immigrants after federal agents near the Texas-Mexico border found 12 people inside his semi truck.

The Border Patrol says Carlos Rodriguez was pulled over last week near Laredo after he failed to stop at a checkpoint on Interstate 35 north of the border city.

Court documents show the 12 people in the truck were from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador.

The San Antonio Express-News reports one of the truck occupants from Guatemala told authorities he paid about $1,000 to be smuggled into the U.S. and that he’d have to pay another $4,000 once he reached his destination in Florida.

Rodriguez now faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.