WACO, Texas — A man has been arrested in Waco on charges of human smuggling, according to the Waco Police Department.
Department Public Information Officer Bryton Johnson stated that Bertin Lopez-Jimenez was arrested on Thursday, Dec. 8, and charged with four counts of Smuggling of Persons, which is a second-degree felony.
According to Johnson, officers responded to a suspicious activity call at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 8. They said that officers found a vehicle with a fictitious license plate and conducted a traffic stop.
Police said that they investigated the vehicle thoroughly with the help of detectives, K9 units, the WPD Street Crimes Unit and discovered four people they claim to have been smuggled across the United States border illegally.
Lopez-Jimenez was arrested, and officers seized $19,250 in U.S. currency, said police.
WPD reported that Homeland Security Investigators assisted with the investigation, and Immigration and Custome Enforcement Agents took custody of the four passengers.
The Waco Police Department asked for members of the public to report any suspicious activity to the WPD at 254-750-7500, or make an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 254-753-4357.
