The Bexar County Sheriff's Office Human Exploitation Unit arrested a suspect connected to multiple disrupted human smuggling operations. 30-year-old Abelardo Herrera, a resident of Laredo, Texas, was arrested on January 22, 2025, with the assistance of the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP AMO), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).
Herrera has been linked to several human smuggling operations, including organizing the illegal transportation of migrants across the state. The investigation led to a residence on Valero Court in Laredo, where Herrera was found harboring smuggled migrants.
Acting on a search warrant and 13 arrest warrants, a coordinated operation involving multiple agencies resulted in the discovery of 16 migrants at Herrera’s residence in the 4600 block of Valero St. The migrants were found inside three vehicles parked in Herrera’s driveway and in a nearby shed.
The investigation revealed that Herrera was involved in the smuggling of 12 migrants arrested just a week earlier, on January 14, 2025, by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Human Exploitation Unit at another location on Fischer Road and IH-35 S. Additionally, Herrera was linked to a previous smuggling operation disrupted by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office in June of 2024, in which 24 migrants were discovered after being smuggled in a hidden compartment rigged on a flatbed trailer. This brings the total number of migrants Herrera is believed to have been directly responsible for smuggling to 52.
As a result of his actions, Herrera faces multiple charges, including:
- 10 counts of Continuous Smuggling of Persons
- 2 counts of Continuous Smuggling of Persons Under 18
- Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity
- Federal charges for smuggling migrants
Currently, Abelardo Herrera remains incarcerated in Webb County, Texas, and is awaiting extradition back to Bexar County, where he will face smuggling-related charges filed by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
Herrera has been linked to several human smuggling operations, including organizing the illegal transportation of migrants across the state. The investigation led to a residence on Valero Court in Laredo, where Herrera was found harboring smuggled migrants.
Acting on a search warrant and 13 arrest warrants, a coordinated operation involving multiple agencies resulted in the discovery of 16 migrants at Herrera’s residence in the 4600 block of Valero St. The migrants were found inside three vehicles parked in Herrera’s driveway and in a nearby shed.
The investigation revealed that Herrera was involved in the smuggling of 12 migrants arrested just a week earlier, on January 14, 2025, by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Human Exploitation Unit at another location on Fischer Road and IH-35 S. Additionally, Herrera was linked to a previous smuggling operation disrupted by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office in June of 2024, in which 24 migrants were discovered after being smuggled in a hidden compartment rigged on a flatbed trailer. This brings the total number of migrants Herrera is believed to have been directly responsible for smuggling to 52.
As a result of his actions, Herrera faces multiple charges, including:
- 10 counts of Continuous Smuggling of Persons
- 2 counts of Continuous Smuggling of Persons Under 18
- Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity
- Federal charges for smuggling migrants
Currently, Abelardo Herrera remains incarcerated in Webb County, Texas, and is awaiting extradition back to Bexar County, where he will face smuggling-related charges filed by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
