BROOKSVILLE, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Highway Patrol arrested a man in Brooksville who they said was smuggling at least 8 people into Florida Thursday.
FHP said they arrested Javier Palma Jenaro on smuggling, operating a vehicle without a valid license and using a two-way device to facilitate a felony charges.
Troopers said they originally stopped the car that was travelling southbound on I-75 after they saw its windows were completely tinted. When the car pulled over, the driver, Palma Jenaro, gave them a Mexican passport and an expired Mexican driver’s license.
FHP said they saw air fresheners hanging throughout the car, along with boxes of soda and waters. They also saw a number of men in the car, all wearing bright yellow shirts.
Palma Jenaro allegedly told troopers there were 8 other men in the car who he was taking them from Marianna to Naples.
FHP said they arrested Palma Jenaro for driving with the expired license. They then talked to the eight men in the car and were able to determine they were in the U.S. illegally.
Using the license plate number they were able to see the vehicle had driven through New Mexico and Alabama, according to FHP.
When troopers searched the car, they said they found a ledger that had names, locations and prices, curtains used to hide the inside of the car and bags of yellow shirts.
While talking to troopers Palma Jenaro allegedly told troopers he got a call about going to Arizona to take illegal aliens to Florida. He said he picked them up at a park in Phoenix and was paid $250 per person. He also said he dropped of three other people on the trip before troopers stopped him.
Palma Jenaro was taken to the Hernando County Jail.