Transmountain rollover car crash & assault investigation uncovers human smuggling operation

UPDATE, April 26: An investigation into last week's rollover car crash and related assault along I-10 west at the Transmountain exit has led to the uncovering of a human smuggling operation and the arrest of a New Mexico man, El Paso police announced Monday.

24–year old Mark Holguin of Sunland Park was being held in the downtown jail on $25,000 bond after being booked on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Detectives said Holguin threatened a motorist with a gun after that man stopped to offer help following the car rollover about 5:30 a.m. last Friday; Holguin and a boy then fled the crash scene into a nearby desert area.

Police later tracked the pair to Quality Inn & Suites at 6185 S. Desert, where authorities said they found a human
smuggling effort operating out of a hotel room. U.S. Homeland Security has taken over the investigation into the smuggling operation.

ORIGINAL REPORT, April 23: EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso Police Department blocked the I-10 west at Transmountain exit Friday morning as it investigated an aggravated assault and rollover crash.

It happened just before 6 a.m. in west El Paso.

Police would not say what kind of "assault" took place, and did not specify if the assault led to the crash, or happened after the crash.

Police did say they were still searching for the assault suspect - and ABC-7 crews observed officers looking in a nearby desert area.

Emergency dispatchers told ABC-7 no one was taken to the hospital stemming from that crash.