CBP officials are seeing a rise in people illegally bringing eggs into border states. Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

A Galveston man who tried to sneak two Mexican nationals across the border in a flag-draped coffin headed for San Antonio has pleaded guilty to one count of human smuggling, Justice Department officials said.

When pulled over, Zachary Taylor Blood, 33, told Border Patrol agents near the South Texas town of Encino that a coffin in his van held the remains of a “dead guy, Navy guy,” according to details from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. Agents noticed the coffin was in lousy condition and the American flag was “taped to the top with packing tape.”

While smuggling cases aren’t a rarity in South Texas, the lawyer representing Blood, Simon Purnell, told the New York Times this was the first time he’s heard of smuggling via coffin.

Blood’s sentencing is scheduled for May in Corpus Christi. He faces a $250,000 fine and up to 5 years in federal prison.

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This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 8, 2022.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...