Fredericksburg PD arrest 2 following human smuggling traffic stop

Fredericksburg police arrested two men reportedly trying to smuggle five people, including a 10-year-old girl. 

On Thursday afternoon, FPD said it received a tip regarding a vehicle heading toward the city limits of Fredericksburg that was involved in the smuggling of immigrants in the country illegally.

According to a press release, FPD conducted a traffic stop and saw five Hispanic men and women lying on top of each other in the backseat.  Police say that the driver and front-seat passenger both had loaded guns on the seats next to them.

During police interviews, officers determined that the driver, 19-year-old Jesus Hernandez, and the front-seat passenger, 23-year-old Pedro Navarro, were working together in the human smuggling of five undocumented immigrants near the Mexico/Texas border. 

Officers say that the two suspects were attempting to transport them when their vehicle was pulled over by FPD.

Hernandez and Navarro were arrested and taken to the Gillespie County Jail.  The charges listed against both were four counts of human smuggling while in possession of a firearm, one count of human smuggling of a person less than 17 years old and possession of a controlled substance.

The Criminal Investigation Division of the Fredericksburg Police Department will be overseeing the investigation.