Texas man recruited for smuggling job on Craigslist

(NewsNation) — A Texas man was arrested for smuggling immigrants, a job he got from a Craigslist ad out of Houston.

The ad reads, “Transportation gig available, payout same day and cash on delivery,” and was facilitated by a criminal smuggling organization, according to law enforcement officials.

Authorities say Nathaniel Chavez, 42, was planning on smuggling four Mexican immigrants, one of whom was a minor, to Austin, Texas.

“They’re being recruited off social media — whether it be Facebook, TikTok, Instagram — and they’re promised big money for very little work,” Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe told NewsNation’s “On Balance.”

Chavez is facing two counts of smuggling persons for financial benefit and one count of smuggling of a minor.

More and more Americans are being recruited to smuggle migrants into the country, with offers reaching thousands of dollars per migrant. Law enforcement sources tell NewsNation that the rise in this kind of activity is putting a strain on the resources available to deal with smugglers.