Porter man and Conroe woman charged with smuggling 89 people in trailer

LAREDO, TX -- A Houston-area man and woman are set to appear in Laredo federal court on allegations they attempted to smuggle undocumented aliens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Marc Anthony Bane, 45, Porter, and Tara Renee Dillon, 33, Conroe, are set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher Dos Santos at 3 p.m. today.

According to the charges, Bane and Dillon arrived at the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint on Interstate Highway 35 approximately 29 miles north of Laredo in a tractor-trailer. There, a service K-9 allegedly detected an odor within the trailer. The charges allege law enforcement then searched the vehicle and found 89 undocumented non-U.S. citizens.

The individuals were sweating profusely inside the warm trailer even though it was approximately 3 a.m. when authorities found them, according to the charges.

Bane allegedly expected to be paid $1,000 for transporting the trailer.

If convicted, Bane and Dillon face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fawcett is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.