Texas man pleads guilty to trying to smuggle 2 people into U.S. in flag-draped coffin: "Dead guy, Navy guy"
CBSN
A man has pleaded guilty to trying to smuggle undocumented immigrants into Texas in a flag-draped coffin, federal prosecutors said on Tuesday. Zachary Taylor Blood, 33, admitted to one count of alien smuggling after he was arrested at a checkpoint in October, according to U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Federal investigators say on October 26, 2021, Blood drove a gray van modified to transport caskets to the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias, Texas. When asked by border officials what was inside, Blood allegedly replied: "Dead guy, Navy guy."
Authorities got suspicious when they noticed the coffin was in poor condition and packing tape was used to attach the flag to the top. After a second inspection, law enforcement discovered two Mexican nationals, "both unlawfully present within the United States, concealed inside the coffin."
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