A Texas man was sentenced to federal prison for using a commercial vehicle in a human smuggling attempt in the summer of 2023.

Oland Maurice McKenzie, 43, of Euless, Texas, was sentenced to 72 months in prison, according to a March 31 statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

McKenzie was found guilty in May 2024 on  one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens placing lives in jeopardy and one count of illegal alien transportation placing lives in jeopardy.

The charges against McKenzie stem from a traffic stop that that occurred on June 29, 2023, in Maverick County, Texas.

McKenzie was driving a commercial vehicle when he was pulled over by a Maverick County Sheriff’s deputy for failing to use a turn signal when he pulled into a parking lot.

During the traffic stop, the deputy learned that McKenzie did not have a commercial driver’s license required to drive the tractor trailer.

“During the traffic stop, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrived and initiated a canine inspection, which led to the discovery of 18 individuals inside the pneumatic tank trailer, which was a completely enclosed metal cylinder, commonly used to transport powdered concrete or sand,” officials said.

McKenzie was arrested following the discovery of the individuals in the trailer.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

“The disruption by law enforcement on the front end of this event absolutely saved lives,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “The tractor trailer was loaded with human cargo and bound for San Antonio out of Eagle Pass. Fortunately, there were no injuries beyond heat exhaustion but, if not for our law enforcement partners, this event could have ended much worse—potentially resulting in death.”

“This conviction highlights the severity of human smuggling and the critical need to enforce U.S. immigration and border security laws,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge for San Antonio, Craig Larrabee. “ICE and HSI will continue to target those who engage in these unlawful activities, which pose significant risks to public safety.”