A high-speed chase that began in McMullen County and involved multiple law enforcement agencies ended with the arrest of 35-year-old Juan Jesus Carranza Jr. of Laredo, who is accused of transporting illegal immigrants. McMullen County Sheriff Emmett Shelton described the pursuit as an “80-mile, extremely dangerous chase” stretching from near Tilden to south of San Antonio.
The pursuit began when McMullen County Deputy David Gardner attempted a traffic stop near the Nueces River Bridge on Highway 16, about 11 miles south of Tilden. A vehicle check revealed the car had been reported stolen, and the driver fled immediately at a high rate of speed.
As the vehicle approached Tilden, deputies deployed spike strips south of the weigh station. In trying to evade the spikes, the driver nearly struck Deputy Robert Gonzales…