LEESVILLE - Police say a man was arrested Tuesday night after an officer found nine illegal immigrants in his vehicle during a traffic stop.

According to Louisiana State Police, 45-year-old Douglas Cubillan was pulled over on LA 8 near Leesville around 9:20 Tuesday night after a trooper noticed he had an obstructed license plate and wasn't using lanes properly.

Once the officer pulled Cubillan over, he found seven Hispanic males and two Hispanic females inside the SUV. Police learned all nine were undocumented immigrants who Cubillan was taking to different cities to work. State police says the victims were being transported through a human smuggling operation, where they would be forced into "debt bondage".

Cubillan was booked into the Vernon Parish Detention Center on human trafficking charges. The nine victims were released to the United States Border Patrol and are awaiting deportation back to Mexico.

An investigation is ongoing.