A Brownsville man is behind bars after he allegedly tried to smuggle Central American children past the Sarita checkpoint on Easter Sunday.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Brownsville resident Sergio Torres on human smuggling charges on Sunday.
Court records released on Tuesday show that Torres drove up to the Border Patrol’s Sarita checkpoint in a green Ford Explorer with four others.
Torres provided birth certificates and told Border Patrol agents that the three children inside his SUV were his nieces and nephew.
Border Patrol agents learned that the two of the children were illegal immigrants.
A 12-year-old girl told investigators that she was from El Salvador.
Torres appeared before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Felix Recio on Monday morning.
Court records show that Torres is an American citizen from Brownsville.
Judge Recio denied bond for Torres until a Thursday afternoon hearing.
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