Crystal City, Texas
DEL RIO, Texas (AP) — A south Texas elected official has been arrested on human smuggling charges after being stopped in a stolen oil field services truck with three immigrants.
Marco Antonio Rodriguez, who's a councilman in Crystal City, faces a federal detention hearing Thursday in Del Rio.
A criminal complaint says Rodriguez told agents he was paid to drive immigrants to San Antonio, 100 miles northeast of Crystal City.
Prosecutors say Rodriguez was arrested Saturday in Big Wells when he drove the truck, with three passengers, into a post office parking lot.
The Canary LLC truck had been reported stolen by the Denver-based company. Border Patrol agents detained Rodriguez and three passengers allegedly in the U.S. illegally.
Rodriguez does not work for Canary.
Crystal City officials and an attorney for Rodriguez didn't immediately comment.