Man admits to smuggling migrants for pay
A DPS trooper working in Wichita Falls arrested a man for human trafficking, the second human trafficking arrest this Fourth of July holiday weekend.
According to allegations made in the latest arrest affidavit:
On Sunday, a trooper saw a Ford Expedition speeding south on U.S. 287. During the traffic stop the trooper discovered the temporary tags belonged to a Chevy Malibu. The driver was identified as Samuel Cazun Cruz. Cruz told the trooper he was traveling with family from Amarillo but did not know the names of anybody in the vehicle.
One passenger also said he did not know any of the other passengers. He told the trooper he paid Cruz $300 for gas. Another passenger also said they paid Cruz $300 for gas. Cruz was arrested and placed in the front seat of the trooper’s patrol car. When asked, “How much he was getting paid?” Cruz replies, “Not enough.”
More: Man arrested in Wichita County on human-smuggling suspicion
Cruz said he was getting paid $150 per person and said he was staying in Dallas while working off a debt. A search of the vehicle found a Kentucky identification with the name Sam Cazun Cruz. Cruz told the trooper the ID card was fake.
The trooper contacted a Border Patrol agent who placed a Federal Detainer on all four passengers and Cruz. A juvenile was transported to the Wichita Falls DPS office and released to a family member.
According to the Wichita County Jail inmate data webpage, Cruz was charged with Smuggling of Person and having a false ID. His bond was set at $30,000 by a judge. He also was placed on an ICE Detainer and held without Bond.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Man admits to smuggling migrants for pay
