United States v. Chavez-Chavez

REYNALDO G. GARZA, Circuit Judge:

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On July 29, 1998, at approximately 8:00 in the morning, Border Patrol Agents Ron Torralba, an agent with six years experience, and Neil Heideman, an agent with three and a half years experience, stopped a van traveling on Highway 286 because they suspected that it contained illegal aliens. In fact, the van contained eight undocumented immigrants from Guatemala. Five were sitting in the van’s front and rear seats, and three were not visible to anyone outside of the van. Chavez-Chavez (Chavez) was the driver of the van.

Highway 77 is…