JAMUL, Calif. (KGTV) -- Two men were arrested Sunday during a foiled human smuggling attempt in East County, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
On Sunday, June 20, at about 9:30 a.m., Border Patrol Agents said a 28-year-old man driving a flatbed tow truck approached the Highway 94 checkpoint in Jamul. In the front passenger seat was a 36-year-old male.
As one agent questioned the two men about their immigration status, another agent climbed onto the tow truck's bed to inspect the van. The agent spotted a silhouette of a human body through a rear-tinted window, according to Border Patrol.
Agents found 4 Mexican nationals inside the SUV illegally present in the U.S. Agents described the men as sweating profusely due to the hot temperature inside the van.
Agents also discovered a loaded handgun inside a toolbox by the driver’s seat. They contacted the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, who responded, cited the driver for improper transportation of a firearm, and took possession of the loaded handgun.
Both men could face human smuggling charges. Border Patrol seized the minivan, and the tow truck was returned to the tow company.
The four undocumented individuals were taken to a local Border Patrol station for processing.
