2 Caught Smuggling Illegal Immigrants

Two Americans are caught smuggling illegal immigrants. The discovery was made Tuesday during a routine traffic stop on I-25, just one mile south of Pueblo.

The seven men and one teenager snuck in to the U.S. from as far away as Honduras and Guatamala. They were discovered packed inside a honda van.

Colorado State Patrol said 27-year-old Walter Zuniga-Sosa was driving the van. Another man, 27-year-old Santos Miranda-Mendoza was along to help.

“Really all our troopers are vigilant about indicators that point to human smuggling,” said Sgt. John Hahn. Hahn said their immigration enforcement unit was called to the scene. After interviewing the eight, they determined they were in the U.S. illegally. They were taken to an immigration detention facility in Denver.

Zuniga-Sosa and Miranda-Mendoza were booked into the Pueblo County Jail. They face eight counts of smuggling, a class 3 felony, and one count of child abuse, for unsafely transporting the teen in the cargo area of the van.

From January to August, C.S.P. said they’ve investigated 30 cases of human smuggling. Sgt. Hahn said if they aren’t caught, their fate could be worse. “Once individuals reach their destination they are often bought and sold.”