Texas duo smuggling three illegal immigrants across border in SUV live stream high-speed police chase, arrested
ZAPATA COUNTY, TEXAS: Two Texas residents have been arrested and charged after they attempted to escape the authorities and led them on a high-speed chase in a bid to smuggle illegal immigrants across the border, all the while live-streaming the entire incident.
Alejandro Vela, 22, and Karyme Espinoza, 19, were traveling with the three immigrants in the back of their 2010 Mercedes-Benz SUV along U.S. 83 in San Ygnacio in Zapata County on October 25 when they were asked to stop by a Texas State trooper for a traffic violation, according to the Laredo Morning Times.
Instead of stopping, Vela, who was driving the vehicle, started speeding away and headed north on U.S. 83 towards Laredo. The car eventually approached the Webb and Zapata County line and made a U-turn to travel back to San Ygnacio.
It was eventually stopped at an intersection with the help of Zapata County sheriff's deputies, but the chase did not end there.
Vela, Espinoza, and the passengers got out of the car and made a desperate run for it, only to be apprehended a short while later.
Espinoza live-streamed the entire chase on Facebook. In the 10-minute video, she announces, "Hey, I'm live on Facebook," as she poses with the migrants in the back of the vehicle.
As the chase begins, she exclaims, "I got immigration on my a**," with Vela later filmed calling his uncle and asking him if he could open the gate to his ranch so they can escape law enforcement. However, the uncle was not at home.
Around the end of the clip, the car is forced off the highway, at which point everyone inside gets out and attempts to flee. The video ends before any of them are caught.
Espinoza has been charged with unlawful transport of a person for pecuniary benefit and evading arrest on foot while Vela has been similarly charged with evading arrest with vehicle, evading arrest on foot, unlawful transport of a person for pecuniary benefit, and reckless driving.
The three immigrants have been taken into custody by the U.S. Border Patrol.