On Thursday, a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper stopped a white Chevrolet on Interstate 75 in Hernando County for having windows with darker than legal tint, according to an incident report.
The driver provided the trooper with a Mexican passport and an expired Mexican driver’s license and said there were eight other people in the car, who were all wearing “clean fluorescent yellow shirts,” according to FHP.
Authorities searched the vehicle and found ledgers which included names, destinations, and prices, and several bags of clean yellow shirts, among other items, according to the incident report.
FHP notified the US Border Patrol, who responded to the scene and interviewed the occupants of the van. Investigators determined they were all in the U.S. illegally.
The driver, Javier Palma-Jenaro, 40, told investigators that he picked up the eight passengers in Arizona on Tuesday after receiving a call asking him to drive a group of illegal immigrants to Florida.
The man told troopers this is something that he has done in the past. Palma-Jenaro, 40, added that he gets paid $250 per illegal that he transports.
Palma-Jenaro was arrested on several counts of smuggling, according to the report. He is being held in the Hernando County Jail on a $90,500 bond, according to jail records.
In the news: Florida Gov. DeSantis Says Ben & Jerry’s Change ‘Step In Right Direction’
Visit Tampafp.com for Politics, Tampa Area Local News, Sports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GiveSendGo or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook Here Or Twitter Here.
Copyright 2022 The Free Press, LLC, tampafp.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.