Undocumented immigrants are restrained by officers of the Encinal Police Department and agents of the US Border Patrol after they survived a pursuit along IH-35 from the USBP checkpoint to the Hwy 44 intersection. Their driver has been taken into custody on a rake of felony charges.
Cristian Talavera-Zirondaro
Encinal police arrested a Mexican national attempting to smuggle ten illegal immigrants through South Texas after the man led officers on a high-speed chase last week.
Officers say their assistance was requested after the driver of a 2003 Ford F-150 failed to comply with orders at the US Border Patrol checkpoint on Monday, September 19.
The driver, later identified as Cristian Talavera-Zirondaro, was traveling at speeds that topped 100 mph in the northbound lanes of IH-35.
According to a report on the case, Encinal police attempted to stop Talavera-Zirondaro when he drove the truck through a creek bed, which deflated the passenger-side tires. The pursuit ended at the Hwy 44 intersection behind a truck stop parking lot.
Ten undocumented immigrants were arrested at the scene; Talavera-Zirondaro fled on foot but officers were able to catch the man who then struggled with law enforcement and subsequently had to be subdued with a Taser.
Talavera-Zirondaro is expected to be held on a retaining order for the US Border Patrol once he is released from the La Salle County Jail.
