Men Being Smuggled Into U.S. In Truck’s Sealed Gas Tank Recall “Fearing For Their Lives”

U.S. Border Patrol agents found two migrants sealed inside the gas tank of a truck.

According to Border Report, the men were found Monday after a canine indicated that something was up with the vehicle at an inspection checkpoint. Federal officers found Ernesto Ramirez Alto and Miguel Santiago Antonio sealed inside an external, empty gas tank.

“Both stated they were instructed to not make any noise. Once inside, the fuel tank was secured to the truck using what they described as a ratchet strap with no means of escape,” a complaint affidavit states, according to Border Patrol. “Both stated they could not move, had difficulty breathing and were afraid of losing their lives.”

The driver of the vehicle, Jose Javier Salinas, was held on charges of conspiring and transporting illegal aliens.

The incident is at least the second time since February in which border patrol officers found a human being hidden in a vehicle’s gas tank. The previous incident happened at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

In the San Ysidro incident, border patrol officers encountered a 20-year-old man driving a 2005 GMC SUV. As in the other incident, a canine unit indicated when inspecting the vehicle.

Officers drove the vehicle to a secondary inspection area and found a person hidden inside a non-factory compartment in the gas tank. Emergency personnel transported the individual to Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista, California, to treat burns from the failed smuggling attempt.

“This case underscores the dangerous and inhumane tactics employed by smugglers who prioritize profit over human lives,” San Ysidro Port Director Mariza Marin said.