Custom Agents Discover Man Smuggled In Suitcase

EL PASO, TX. – Customs agents discovered a man attempting to be smuggled into the U.S. via — suitcase.

Agents at the Paso del Norte Port of Entry crossing in El Paso found the man hidden in a suitcase while they were conducting an inspection early Tuesday morning.The man was found just after midnight after agents stopped a Ford Escort for further inspection at the port of entry. Both the hidden man and the man driving the vehiclewere arrested in the alleged smuggling attempt.

Acting Port Director for the El Paso Customs & Border Protection Division, Polly Figueroa said, “It is certainly unusual and something we rarely encounter at the El Paso Port. The majority of illegal immigration attempts we see involve impostors,the use of counterfeit documents, or people making false claims to U.S. Citizenship.”

The driver, identified as 42-year old Martin Enriquez Hernandez of Denver, CO was arrested and charged with alien smuggling. The man in the suitcase was identified as 26-year old Jesus Ivan Payan Estrada of Anahuac, Chihuahua, MX.

Officials with the CBP said that while the incident is rare, agents at other ports of entry have found people concealed in pinatas, sewn into car seats, inside gas tanks, hidden under dashboards, and in a variety of other places in vehicles.

– – – – – – – – –

Written for KVIA.com by Miguel Martinez