Man indicted on 5 smuggling charges

A 33-year-old Odessa man authorities believe smuggled 13 people across the Mexican border last April was indicted earlier this month on five smuggling charges.

According to a Texas Department of Public Safety report, a trooper saw the driver of a GMC Yukon exit from Interstate 20 onto the south service road heading toward West County Road shortly before midnight on April 10, 2021. The driver of the Yukon, later identified as Freddy Aguirre, failed to keep to a single lane and after the trooper activated his lights to pull him over, saw him drop off two men before driving through the red light at West County Road, the trooper wrote in his report.

Aguirre almost caused several wrecks on West County Road while driving north in the southbound lanes, prompting a pursuit that reached speeds of about 115 mph, the trooper wrote. Aguirre drove into several neighborhoods, making several turns before stopping at North Easy Avenue and West Doris Drive.

The trooper reported several people fled from the Yukon and 14 people were apprehended, including Aguirre.

Aguirre was arrested on suspicion of 13 counts of unlawful transportation of person for pecuniary benefit and evading arrest and booked into the Ector County jail. He was released on April 14, 2021, after posting 14 surety bonds totaling $107,500.

Online Ector County District Court records indicate he was indicted in November 2021 on a single count of evading arrest. He was indicted on five counts of smuggling of persons on May 2 and arraigned Monday.