SAN ANTONIO – Two people are facing human smuggling charges after being stopped on a south Bexar County highway with a group of people packed into an SUV, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Aida Maria Reyes, 52, and Julio Trevino, 21, Tuesday night alongside Interstate 35 near Fischer Road.
A report stated that Reyes was driving the SUV, which was crammed with as many as 12 people inside. Among the 12 people were two children, ages 11 and 14.
The group, which included people from Guatemala and Mexico, ultimately was headed to various states across the country, the report stated.
Sheriff’s deputies got a call about the incident after a Von Ormy police officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle after 7:30 p.m.
“The vehicle (was) weaving in and out of traffic and then it got a flat tire, and it was pulled over,” said Von Ormy Acting Police Chief Abel Zepeda.
Zepeda said the officer was surprised when the driver stopped. He found the people all lying down in the back of the SUV.
“It’s just every day. It’s an everyday occurrence, and it’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time,” Zepeda said.
Zepeda, who also is a member of Bexar County’s human trafficking task force, said there has been an increase in all kinds of smuggling along I-35 in recent years, particularly in the southern part of the county.
With so few officers in his department, Zepeda said keeping up can be overwhelming.
“We’re very small. We only have so many officers on duty at a time,” Zepeda said. “It’s hard to be able to catch everything going in — from drugs, money, weapons, people.”
He said his officers often rely on other departments to help them make arrests. On Tuesday night, they called in reinforcements from BCSO.
Both Reyes and Trevino were booked into the Bexar County jail after their arrests. Records show Trevino has been released on bond.
