Human smugglers crash car carrying 12 migrants in Texas after high-speed chase
Texas officials warn of an increase in high-speed pursuits in border communities.
A suspected human smuggler carrying a dozen illegal immigrants inside his vehicle has been taken into custody after leading authorities in Texas on a high-speed chase that ended in a dramatic crash.
Photos captured by Fox News show a group of migrants being detained outside of a home in McAllen, Texas, on Saturday next to a vehicle that has a front wheel missing.
![The crash ended after the vehicle rammed through a gate outside of this home in McAllen, Texas. (Bill Melugin/Fox News)](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2021/06/1200/675/mcallen-crash-2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The crash ended after the vehicle rammed through a gate outside of this home in McAllen, Texas. (Bill Melugin/Fox News)
The suspected smuggler – who has not been identified – was caught by Texas State Troopers and Border Patrol agents after ramming through a gate surrounding a home in a quiet residential neighborhood, Fox News has learned.
The man tried to escape on foot, but is now facing evading and human smuggling charges.
![The vehicle carrying the migrants sustained heavy damage. (Bill Melugin/Fox News)](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2021/06/1200/675/mcallen-crash.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The vehicle carrying the migrants sustained heavy damage. (Bill Melugin/Fox News)
The chase lasted around 40 minutes. Investigators tell Fox News that it started in nearby Mission, where a red Lincoln Navigator was spotted loaded up with the migrants.
During the chase, the driver of the vehicle lost his left wheel after running through a spike strip deployed by state troopers.
![It was not immediately clear where the vehicle originated from. (Bill Melugin/Fox News)](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2021/06/1200/675/mcallen-crash-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
It was not immediately clear where the vehicle originated from. (Bill Melugin/Fox News)
But investigators say he kept on going, driving on the rim for six miles.
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![The driver attempted to flee on foot, but was taken into custody. (Bill Melugin/Fox News)](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2021/06/1200/675/mcallen-crash-4.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The driver attempted to flee on foot, but was taken into custody. (Bill Melugin/Fox News)
Some of the migrants that spoke to Fox News after being apprehended said they were from El Salvador – and all of them have been handed over to U.S. Border Patrol, officials say.
The Texas Department of Public Safety tells Fox News it has seen a sharp increase in the number of human smuggler pursuits, with more than 370 happening since the start of March.