Officers in Haywood County found 13 suspected illegal immigrants traveling in a Chevrolet Astro van on Interstate 40, Sheriff Bobby Suttles said Wednesday.
The passengers, who ranged in age from 3 to 47, were all detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency after the July 16 traffic stop.
The van's driver, Meliton Mendoza Guniterrez, 45, of Salina, Utah, was ticketed for driving without a license. He was wanted by federal immigration authorities for a probation violation and had a criminal record for drug trafficking, according to an incident report.
Canton police Corp. Jason Hughes spotted the van at 11:20 a.m. as it was traveling 65 mph in a 60 zone, according to the officer's report. He checked the license tag number and discovered the van did not have insurance.
The officer saw a people inside the van after it was stopped. They were taken to the Haywood County jail to wait for federal authorities.
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090723/NEWS01/907230318/1009
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