Maverick County, TX, USA - June 19, 2024.

In a dramatic pursuit on US-277 this week, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Troopers engaged in a high-speed chase with a human smuggler driving a Ford F-250 through Maverick County. The chase escalated when the driver crashed through a ranch fence and maneuvered through rugged terrain, smashing five additional fences in a bid to evade DPS Aircraft surveillance.

All occupants of the vehicle eventually abandoned it and attempted to hide in the brush. With the assistance of a DPS Brush Team, DPS Aircraft, and Border Patrol Horse Patrol, authorities successfully apprehended the smuggler and five illegal immigrants involved.

The driver, identified as an illegal immigrant from Mexico, faces a slew of charges including smuggling of persons, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, evading arrest, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. The five illegal immigrants apprehended with him also face charges of criminal mischief, criminal trespass, and evading arrest on foot.

During processing, it was discovered that one of the illegal immigrants, Nestor Farid Garcia Morales, was wanted on six outstanding warrants issued by the Saint Croix County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin.