SPRING, Texas — A Houston-area man is facing serious charges after state troopers said they caught him transporting migrants from the border to Austin.
They said 42-year-old Nathaniel Chavez took the job after seeing it advertised on Houston Craigslist.
A woman who answered the front door at Chavez's residence in Spring said he did not have a comment on the human smuggling charges.
It is still unclear if Chavez knew what he was getting into when he responded to the Craigslist post.
"(Chavez) drove from Houston, Texas to Eagle Pass for the sole purpose to smuggle illegal immigrants," Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Christopher Olivarez said.
He said Chavez did something troopers hadn’t seen until last week. Chavez allegedly got the job after responding to a post on Houston Craiglist which read: "All you need is a vehicle” and “Payout same day and cash on delivery!!”
"Now, we’re seeing with this event, they’re starting to use Craiglist now and so they’re trying to reach a much larger audience, not just only using social media but also using Craiglist," Olivarez said.
Olivarez said there's a growing number of out-of-town drivers arrested for smuggling in the Border Patrol’s Del Rio Sector.
Most of them, he believes, were solicited on social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok.
He said drivers make anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 per migrant that is transported from the border to big cities.
The same day Chavez was arrested, DPS video showed a driver from California arrested by troopers as well, for allegedly smuggling 10 migrants in Kinney County.
KHOU 11 News blurred the faces of the migrants because it is not known if they have been charged with crimes.
Chavez is facing multiple felony human smuggling charges for three adults police said were found in his vehicle. He is also charged with smuggling a person under the age of 18 for the minor troopers said they found in his car.
"I strongly believe that all these drivers, even young adults, are not aware of the consequences and the dangers in getting involved with smuggling organizations," Olivarez said.