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Men in Texas are starting to get on Florida’s level! A Texas man felt pretty confident with his routine of smuggling migrants in the back of a tanker truck across the border. He managed to do it six times before getting caught on the seventh trip. 

Texas man smuggles migrants in tanker truck 

44-year-old Richard Rindeikis successfully transported undocumented migrants across the border in a tanker truck before getting caught during his seventh trip. 

He was caught in 2024 at the United States Border Patrol checkpoint near Carrizo Springs while driving a semi-truck with a tanker trailer. Rindeikis said that his trailer was empty. Then it was sent to a secondary inspection when he failed to provide a driver’s license. 

Border Patrol agents noticed that the trailer’s hatches were closed and secured. When they opened them, they found 25 migrants from Ecuador, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico inside. 

According to Fox 7 Austin, this type of smuggling operation is extremely dangerous. Oftentimes, similar instances result in tragedy as trailers reach extreme temperatures without ventilation. People can die due to heat exhaustion or suffocation. 

Rindeikis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants. He received a 10-year sentence in federal prison. U.S. 

Attorney, Justin R. Simmons for the West District of Texas shared that his office will continue to pursue, prosecute, and seek to punish those who selfishly value profit over human life. 

Back in 2022, 53 migrants died in the back of an unairconditioned semi-truck, marking the deadliest smuggling incident at the border in history. Luckily, the 25 people in the tanker truck were rescued.