PINE VALLEY: Three people were found crammed in the trunk of a Volkswagen Jetta, and the driver and passenger face human smuggling charges, federal officials said.
The car stopped about 4 p.m. Saturday at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 8 in Pine Valley, and a canine alerted to the vehicle in the inspection area.
Two women and a man, ranging from age 19 to 28, were found in the trunk. They were “sweating profusely due to high temperature and lack of ventilation,” according to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The three were determined to be Mexican citizens who were in the country illegally, the statement said.
The driver, age 26, and his 31-year-old male passenger, both U.S. citizens, were taken into custody. The car was seized.
