BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — Florida Highway Patrol says troopers have busted a human smuggling operation for the fourth time in a week.
In the latest case, FHP says a sergeant spotted a silver minivan just after 2:30 p.m. Thursday, going southbound on I-75 in Brooksville.
Investigators say the van had an illegal window tint and was following too closely behind the car in front of it.
During a traffic stop, troopers say the 20-year-old driver showed a Mexican ID card and identified himself as Alex Hernandez Pacheco.
Authorities say Hernandez Pacheco was being paid to transport five passengers who were in the United States illegally from Guatemala. He was hired to drive them from Arizona to Tampa, investigators said.
According to law enforcement, the passengers were 17, 19, 21, 22 and 34. They reportedly didn't know the driver's name.
FHP says a search of the minivan revealed a "large sum" of money and three days' worth of gas receipts from Arizona, Oklahoma and Georgia.
Hernandez Pacheco was charged with human trafficking/smuggling and driving without a valid license.
According to his arrest report, he told troopers a boss in Arizona arranged the smuggling trip and supplied the minivan. The report said a search of the car revealed a bottle of urine in the cargo space, food and drinks scattered throughout, and wet clothing on the rear seat.
Troopers indicated they were told different amounts, in terms of what Hernandez Pacheco was allegedly paid. However, the report suggested the figure was somewhere between $250 and $700 per person.
Hernandez Pacheco was arrested and booked into the Hernando County Jail. The five passengers were taken to the Tampa Border Patrol Station, where they were processed.
The nonprofit American Immigration Council, which has advocated for the rights of migrants, says more than 425,000 American citizens in Florida live with at least one relative who is in the country illegally.
"775,000 undocumented immigrants comprised 18 percent of the immigrant population and 4 percent of the total state population in 2016," the Council writes on its website, citing Pew research.
According to the New York Times, the Biden administration recently released updated guidance, barring immigration-related arrests in "protected areas," which his team designated as areas like hospitals, schools and places of worship.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a stricter stance on individuals who enter the country illegally. The governor has prohibited state agencies from helping relocate undocumented people who arrive in Florida and instructed FHP to detain any planes, buses or cars reasonably believed to be moving people illegally.
DeSantis has sued the Biden administration over federal immigration policies.
