Mexican national caught on Interstate 70 accused of transporting 10 undocumented immigrants

ST. LOUIS – A Mexican national stopped on Interstate 70 in St. Peters was transporting 10 undocumented immigrants to Ohio in his minivan, a criminal complaint says. 

Francisco Ibarra-Hernandez, 35, was heading east on the highway in a 2011 Toyota Sienna on August 24 when the vehicle was stopped by officers with the St. Peters Police Department. 

Police found 11 people inside the minivan. The front-seat passenger, Ibarra-Hernandez, is suspected of being paid to take Illegal immigrants from Phoenix to job sites around the country, the criminal complaint says. 

Several of the passengers told police that they did not know where they were being taken.

Ibarra-Hernandez was charged by complaint that same day with transporting illegal aliens and illegal reentry of an alien. Ibarra-Hernandez was removed from the country more than 15 years ago, when he was using another name, the complaint says. 

Ibarra-Hernandez was indicted August 31 on one count of illegal reentry of an alien and 10 counts of transporting illegal aliens. He is scheduled to plead not guilty to those charges on Wednesday. 

Charges set forth in a criminal complaint or an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Peters Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Drake is prosecuting the case.