Staff Reports
A Mexican man was arrested Tuesday for alleged human trafficking following a traffic stop on Interstate 75.
According to a State Attorney’s Office press release, the Gainesville Police Domestic Highway Enforcement Team pulled Adan Lopez Hernandez, 28, over for speeding, failure to maintain a single lane of traffic and a window tint violation.
Officers observed multiple people appear from the cargo area of the vehicle who were attempting to hide and noted the vehicle smelled of foul human body odor.
Hernandez did not have a valid driver’s license from any state and provided the officers with Mexican identification with an alternate name.
After further investigation, officers found that Hernandez was paid to transport 14 people from Arizona to South Florida. The victims reportedly paid $5,000 per person and, during the traffic stop, only five people were present.
The U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security responded to the scene to assist.
Hernandez was booked into the Alachua County Jail and the five victims were turned over to the Border Patrol.