A Laredo man was arrested on 12 counts of human smuggling on Oct. 4 after leading troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety on a high-speed chase, according to DPS spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez.

Olivarez said the smuggler, identified as Manuel Sauceda, was smuggling a group of migrants in the truck bed of a Ram 1500 underneath a tarp.

DPS Troopers Arrest Smuggler after High-Speed Chase, Arrest 12 Illegal Immigrants for Criminal Trespass

10/4: A smuggler in a Ram 1500 led @TxDPS Troopers on a high-speed pursuit in #Laredo while smuggling a group of illegal immigrants in the bed of the truck concealed under a… pic.twitter.com/YYXM04mVTv

— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) October 11, 2024

Sauceda stopped near the Rio Grande and exited the vehicle, along with multiple migrants, and attempted to flee into the river.

Troopers, with the assistance of the U.S. Border Patrol, were able to locate Sauceda and placed him under arrest, according to Olivarez.

Olivarez said they also arrested the 12 migrants who were from Mexico and Guatemala. They face trespassing charges after they trespassed onto private property.