A Daily Caller News Foundation reporter recounted an interview with a Texas lawyer accused of human smuggling during a Monday-evening appearance on NewsNation.

“He was approached by these gentlemen asking for a ride to their job in another area of Texas which he was actually already heading to, and he thought he would help them out and claims he was not smuggling anyone, and he was eventually pulled over as part of Operation Lone Star, which is Texas Gov. Abbott’s initiative to secure the border” investigative reporter Jennie Taer said on “Rush Hour” about the case involving Timothy Japhet, an attorney from Corpus Christi who was arrested on charges of human smuggling.

Galveston County Constable Jimmy Fullen confirmed the arrest of Japhet, with a report from the arresting officer saying Japhet shouted “I’m a judge, I’m a judge,” as he was taken into custody.

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“I asked the constable about this and he said he sees people from all walks of life, including attorneys, that are picking up migrants at the border,” Taer said. “This has historically been happening for years.”

“Now what’s interesting about this case is that when this individual was arrested he had his phone searched, and they were looking for certain apps that could have been used to be part of a human smuggling operation,” Taer added.

Japhet told the DCNF he has no intention of picking up migrants again.

“I was stupid,” he told Taer in an interview, adding that he expects the charges to be dropped.

Texas started busing migrants to Washington, D.C., and New York City in April, drawing criticism from Democratic mayors Muriel Bowser and Eric Adams. Data obtained by the DCNF from the Department of Homeland Security shows that 18,881 illegal immigrants have been rescued on the southern border since October 2021.