A truck driver was sentenced to federal prison for a human smuggling attempt that subjected multiple individuals to “hazardous conditions,” authorities said.
Truck driver Robert Martinez Jr, 51, of Needville, Texas, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release, according to an October 15 announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Martinez pleaded guilty to charges related to human smuggling on May 20, 2026.
On March 9, 2026, Martinez approached the Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita, Texas, in a tractor trailer.
During the inspection, Martinez reportedly told officers he was hauling a load of onions. He agreed to allow officials to scan the vehicle.
After the scan revealed anomalies inside the cab, a closer inspection revealed “10 illegal aliens concealed on the top bunk, beneath a blanket on the lower bunk, and inside a storage compartment underneath it.”
The two people inside the storage compartment were observed to be “sweating” with “flushed faces.”
The individuals who were being smuggled “identified Martinez as the driver of the tractor-trailer,” officials said.
“In handing down the sentence, the court considered the dangerous conditions in which Martinez transported the illegal aliens. Two were concealed inside a storage compartment beneath four others, making it impossible for them to escape,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol.
