Honduran man arrested for human smuggling near Loving

A 20-year-old Honduran man was arrested near Loving for allegedly smuggling nine people including a 16-year-old boy across the state for a fee, the Young County Sheriff ’s Office said.

A deputy stopped a white Honda Pilot driven by Jamie Corrales-Oliva on Nov. 12 at the intersection of State Highways 16 and 114 for a traffic violation, the sheriff said. The vehicle was occupied by six men, a teenage boy, and two women whose stories about their destination and point of origin conflicted, the sheriff said. The deputy learned through further investigation that four of the passengers were from Guatemala, three were from Honduras and one was from Mexico, and that Mr. Corrales-Oliva was smuggling them for a fee.

Mr. Corrales-Oliva was arrested and charged with Smuggling of Persons. He was being held in Young County Jail in lieu of a $20,000 bond, jail records show. The teenage boy was placed in the custody of Texas Child Protective Services, the sheriff said. The other passengers were taken to the Young County Jail, where the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer and took custody of them, the sheriff said.