Court documents show 77 immigrants who entered the country illegally were discovered inside a hot truck by officers conducting a traffic stop in Southern California near the Mexico border.
The San Diego Union-Tribune on Tuesday cited a criminal complaint that says five children were among the people stuffed shoulder-to-shoulder inside the overheated cargo area.
The documents say the group of Mexican nationals admitted entering the U.S. illegally.
The California Highway Patrol pulled the truck over Monday because the vehicle had no tags and was weaving in lanes.
The newspaper says the driver admitted being a human smuggler who was expecting to transport 50 people. He said he was surprised to learn there were 77 inside.
The driver told investigators he was to be paid $100 for each person he transported.
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Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.utsandiego.com
