A traffic stop in the western part of Livingston County last Thursday led to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest and the arrest of a driver.
Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox reports 38-year-old Ivan Othoniel Sevilla-Baker of Mexico was arrested at the request of Homeland Security following a search of a van. He was taken to the Caldwell County Jail per request of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The driver of the van, 24-year-old Kevin Gonzalez of Wichita, Kansas, received a citation and was arrested for operating a vehicle on a highway without a valid driver’s license. He was processed and released from the sheriff’s office.
Deputy Jordan Williams checked the van speeding at the Mooresville junction and U. S. Highway 36 before stopping it, and another vehicle stopped at the same time. Gonzalez was reportedly headed to another state, and he had several Hispanic passengers.
Most of the Hispanic passengers had their passports from Mexico, but Cox said none was legally in the United States. Information was shared about the stop with other agencies and the people involved, but no other arrests were requested.
Additional officers from the Highway Patrol and Caldwell County and Livingston County K-9 Zaki assisted at the scene, and no drugs were reported to be found in the vehicle.
An investigation took place into possible human trafficking, but no information or evidence was obtained to support it.
