Making Immigration Happen
Chicago Woman Arrested for Selling Fraudulent Identity Documents to Illegal Aliens
A woman was arrested Wednesday, February 13, 2013, on charges she allegedly sold fraudulent identity documents to illegal aliens. These charges resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigra
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Tag Archives: alien smuggling

Fugitive Utah Attorney Indicted for Alien Smuggling and Visa Fraud is Captured

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A Salt Lake City immigration attorney who fled following his 2009 indictment on alien smuggling and visa fraud charges is headed to back to Utah after being captured while attempting to re-enter the U.S. on Christmas Day, 2012, at the San Ysidro Port of Entry near San Diego.

James Hector Alcala, 44, fled the U.S. in December 2010 and a federal arrest warrant was issued after he violated conditions of his pre-trial release. Alcala made his initial appearance in federal court in San Diego Dec. 26, 2012. Alcala waived his right to a preliminary hearing scheduled for Tuesday, January 8, 2013, which now paves the way for his transfer to Utah in the coming weeks to face charges.

The case investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; and the U.S. Department of Labor uncovered an alien smuggling ring, of which investigators believe Alcala and his law firm participated.

Alcala, the Alcala Law Firm, Westside Property Management, and seven other individuals are charged with conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and visa fraud; encouraging and inducing illegal aliens to come to, enter, or remain in theUnited States; and visa fraud. According to the federal indictment unsealed in July 2009, the defendants conspired to profit financially by assisting Utah employers in obtaining H-2B visas for their foreign national workers by fraudulently representing to the federal government that the foreign nationals were eligible for visas when, in fact, they were not.

Carlos Manuel Vorher, 46, of Tooele; Andres Lorenzo Acosta Parra, 34, of Salt Lake City; and Westside Property Management have since pleaded guilty to charges stemming from their involvement in the case. Sentencing hearings are pending.

Charges against two individuals named in the indictment, Daniel Trigo Villavicencio, 34, of Oremand Gustavo Ballesteros-Munoz, 49, of West Jordan, have been dismissed by federal prosecutors. A fugitive warrant remains in place for Carlos Enrique Gomez-Alvarez, 44, of Salt Lake City, who fled the country in 2009 after his arrest and initial appearance on the charges in New York.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.

HSI Busts Alien Smuggling Ring

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Three Mexican men face federal charges following their arrest Friday, December 7, 2012, at a West Valley drop house discovered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Francisco Javier Astorga-Velarde, 22, Jose Pedro Soto-Valdez, 32, and Noel Galdinez-Marmolejo, 32, appeared in federal court Monday, December 10, 2012, where they were charged in a federal complaint with conspiring to harbor illegal aliens.

HSI special agents were first alerted to the drop house Dec. 5 after a woman contacted HSI Atlanta to report that a man was demanding she pay him $4,000 or he would kill her niece, who was allegedly being held hostage in a drop house in Phoenix. HSI Atlanta alerted HSI Phoenix special agents, who worked around the clock to develop information on the possible location of the drop house. By the morning of Friday, December 7, 2012, special agents had sufficient reason to believe the woman was being held in a residence on West Highland Avenue.

When special agents and officers from the Phoenix Police Department responded to the house, they observed the defendants fleeing out the back door. The defendants ran back inside after seeing police. Special agents approached the back door and called to the occupants of the house to come outside. The defendants complied and were taken into custody. Fearing for the safety of the people inside, special agents entered the home and discovered 14 smuggled aliens, including the niece of the woman who alerted authorities. Special agents subsequently obtained a federal search warrant for the residence and discovered two 9 mm handguns inside.

According to the criminal complaint, Astorga-Velarde served as the “boss” of the house. He allegedly hit two male victims in the face with a gun and called the wife of one of the men, threating to kill her husband if she did not pay his smuggling fee. Astorga-Velarde is also accused of threatening a female alien with sexual assault and claiming he would cut her into pieces and throw her in the trash. The complaint alleges Galdinez-Marmolejo used a gun to hit one of the male victims on the head, face, hands and feet. Soto-Valdez allegedly beat the male victim with the guns and threatened to sexually assault, cut, kill or sell the female aliens in the house if their smuggling fees were not paid.

The investigation is ongoing and the defendants may face additional charges. The case is bei ng prosecuted by Lisa Jennis Settel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona.

A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Since January, HSI has encountered 35 drop houses containing 436 illegal aliens in the metropolitan Phoenix area.

Mexican Nationals Plead Guilty to Human Trafficking, Hostage Taking, and Alien Harboring

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Two Mexican nationals pleaded guilty Thursday, November 29, 2012, to their roles in an ongoing conspiracy to hold hostage and harbor smuggled aliens for ransom payments, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) offices in Houston, Washington, D.C., and Virginia; and Prince William County, Va., and Houston Police Departments.

Virgilio De la Torre-Santana, 27, and Aduato Aguilar-Lara, 34, pleaded guilty Nov. 29 before U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller. De La Torre-Santana pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit hostage taking; Aguilar-Lara pleaded guilty to conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.

On or about Aug. 17, family members and friends of two aliens who had been smuggled into the United States contacted local law enforcement in Prince William County, Va., to report receiving extortion calls demanding money for the aliens’ release. Family members wired money, which was received and picked up at various locations in Harris County, Texas. The two aliens were subsequently released and transported to Virginia.

After arriving in Virginia, the aliens contacted law enforcement to report being held hostage against their will at a location that was later identified as a residence located on Amblewood Drive in Houston. A few weeks later, special agents executed a search warrant at that location and encountered 26 illegal aliens, at least two of whom were juveniles held hostage inside the residence. Special agents also encountered and arrested De La Torre-Santana, Aguilar-Lara and a third defendant, Job Solis-Benito, 23, also a Mexican national.

According to the aliens, upon arrival in Houston, they were forced to undress and were informed they had been “sold” and would not be released until family members made payments to the men holding them hostage. While held hostage at the residence, victims reported they were held in their underwear, in locked rooms with boarded up windows and in deplorable conditions. The victims also indicated they were guarded by men constantly armed with a handgun. Victims reported they were not allowed to leave the residence until payment was sent for their release. Some victims said they were threatened with harm or death if payment was not received.

At the hearing on Thursday, November 29, 2012, De La Torre-Santana admitted he participated in the conspiracy to hold smuggled aliens hostage by making phone calls to relatives and friends of smuggled aliens, instructing them to send money via Western Union and/or Money Gram in exchange for the safe release of the aliens. He further admitted he recruited and paid other unindicted conspirators to pick up the money transfers at various locations within Harris County on his behalf.

Aguilar-Lara admitted to conspiring to harbor and conceal smuggled aliens inside the residence by providing the aliens with food, and by acting as a guard to ensure the aliens did not leave the residence until full payment for their release was received.

Sentencing for both De La Torre-Santana and Aguilar-Lara is scheduled for May 10. De La Torre-Santana faces up to life in prison; Aguilar-Lara faces up to 10 years imprisonment. Both also face a possible $250,000 fine.

The case against Solis-Benito is pending. He is charged with conspiring to commit hostage taking, hostage taking, conspiring to harbor illegal aliens, and harboring illegal aliens.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey N. MacDonald, Southern District of Texas, is prosecuting the case.

Texas Man Sentenced for Alien Smuggling and Death of Smuggled Immigrant

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A Houston man was sentenced Wednesday, November 14, 2012, to 6 ½ years in federal prison following his conviction on conspiracy to transport 14 illegal aliens within the United States and causing serious bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. The investigation was conducted by special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Border Patrol.

Leonel Alvaro Abundis-Carreon, 22, pleaded guilty Aug. 6 before U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez-Ramos, who sentenced him to a term of 78 months in federal prison, which is to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Ramos also ordered Abundis-Carreon to pay restitution in the amount of $7,300 to the victim’s family, $71,423.81 to Christus Spohn Kleberg, $257,638.05 to Christus Spohn Memorial and $34,689.01 to Christus Spohn Hospital in medical costs. In his guilty plea, he admitted he was driving a truck loaded with several illegal aliens, one of whom was killed.

The court learned that on Feb. 9, at about 6:10 a.m., Falfurrias Border Patrol agents were advised to be on the lookout for a white Ford F 250 pickup truck that was possibly involved in alien smuggling. Moments later, agents witnessed a white Chevrolet pickup truck traveling north on Farm to Market Road (FM) 1538 in Brooks County,Texas.

Several people were observed in the cab with several more ducking down in the bed of the truck. When agents began to follow the truck, it sped off at a high rate of speed. Border Patrol agents activated their emergency lights and siren, but the truck continued to travel north on FM 1538 until it merged onto County Road (CR) 417. The driver then turned off the headlights and drove straight through a fence and into a privately owned ranch. Agents followed the truck’s dust cloud and located it facing south on the opposite side of the fence line.

When agents exited their vehicle, they saw several injured individuals lying on the ground near the truck. A deceased person was pinned under the truck’s front tire and another was pinned under the rear axle of the truck, who appeared to still be breathing but unresponsive. At the scene, agents located seven individuals, three of whom were airlifted to the hospital. Near the crash site, Border Patrol agents located seven more individuals involved in the crash.

Abundis-Carreon admitted to HSI special agents that he was the driver of the truck and was being paid $125 for each alien he smuggled. One of the aliens suffered a broken pelvis which is expected to prevent him from walking for at least six months. The person found under the rear axle suffered third-degree burns on his legs. A third alien suffered an injury to his eye that required surgery.

Abundis-Carreon will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted the case.

Indictment for 16 in Alien Smuggling Ring

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Sixteen people were arrested Tuesday, October 16, 2012, on alien smuggling and/or drug smuggling charges. The arrests were announced by: U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Sean McElroy, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Charles McClelland, Houston Police Department (HPD).

The two-year investigation resulted in the return of two sealed indictments Sept. 20, which were unsealed following the execution of arrest warrants Oct. 16 and 17.

The first indictment outlines a long-term smuggling operation dating back to July 2011. According to the indictment, illegal aliens were smuggled across the United States-Mexico border and were either required to pay a fee or transport narcotics into the country to satisfy their smuggling debt. The indictment outlines how this group allegedly used conference calls during their smuggling venture as they tried to locate and avoid law enforcement.

Aliens and drugs were transported through the South Texas area into and throughout the United States, according to the charges. Those operating the smuggling ring were allegedly paid large sums of money for their involvement.

“Transnational criminal organizations account for a growing amount of crime in our communities and across the country,” said McElroy. “HSI is committed to working together with our local law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe.”

Following are those who were arrested Oct. 16: Eliazar Gonzales, 28, Jose Luis Fuentes, 30, Ruben Avila, 31, Daniel Avila, 29, Jose Antonio Lopez, 24, Jose Galvan Arranda, 50, Israel Alcaraz, 31, and Vinnie Chavez, 34, all of Houston; Noemi Rosales-Sanchez, 35, of Roma, Texas; Marino Garcia, 36, of Mexico; and Otoniel Dumari Hernandez-Rojas, 31, of El Salvador. They are expected to appear before Magistrate Judge Mary Milloy Oct. 17. Fidel Galarza Cardenas, 46, of Mexico, made his initial appearance Oct. 11 after being transferred from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

If convicted of the marijuana conspiracy charge, the defendants face up to 40 years imprisonment and a $5 million fine; if convicted of alien smuggling, they face up to 10 years and $250,000 fine.

Four others were also arrested Wednesday, October 17, 2012, but charged in a separate case: Aldo Teyes-Sanchez, 29, Eulogio Alanis, 27, Antonio Rivas-Vargas, 29, all of Houston; and Saul Porros-Sanchez, 24, of Mexico, are charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. They face up to 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine.

Those taken into custody Wednesday, October 17, 2012, are expected to appear this week before Judge Milloy.

These charges resulted from an investigation by HSI and HPD, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark E. Donnelly and Timothy S. Braley are prosecuting this case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

9 Indicted for Alien Harboring and Immigration Fraud Conspiracy

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Nine people from Rapid City and the surrounding Black Hills community were indicted Thursday, September 27, 2012, by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to harbor aliens and harboring aliens. Four of the nine individuals are charged with an additional count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

The indictments resulted from a criminal investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in partnership with the following agencies: U.S. Forest Service, Rapid City Police Department, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General, Custer County Police Department, U.S. Department of Labor and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.

“Today’s law enforcement operation sends a strong message that HSI and our law enforcement partners are ever vigilant against those seeking to manipulate the system to gain an unfair advantage over their competitors,” said Michael Feinberg, special agent in charge of HSI St. Paul, which covers South Dakota. “The combined resources of a joint federal, state and local law enforcement operation present a formidable obstacle to any criminal enterprise seeking to harm hard-working citizens and American business interests.”

The following indictments have been handed down:

  • Angel Munoz-Escalante, owner and operator of Munoz Logging and Construction Company, Rapid City, South Dakota– charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens and one count of harboring aliens.
  • Barbara Munoz, owner and operator of Munoz Logging and Construction Company – charged with one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens and one count of harboring aliens.
  • Christina Pourier, bookkeeper of Munoz Logging and Construction Company – charged with one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens and one count of harboring aliens.
  • Mario Rangel, manager for Munoz Logging and Construction Company – charged with one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens and one count of harboring aliens.
  • Aurelio Munoz-Escalante, owner and operator of the Black Hills Thinning Company – charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens and one count of harboring aliens.
  • Miguel Soto, foreman for the Black Hills Thinning Company – charged with one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens and one count of harboring aliens.
  • Rogelio Escalante, owner and operator of the Escalante Logging Company – charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens and one count of harboring aliens.
  • Sergio Munoz-Escalante, owner and operator of the SM Logging Company – charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens and one count of harboring aliens.
  • Benjamin Munoz-Botello, owner and operator of Benja’s Mexican Store, a grocery and licensed money-transmitting and check-cashing business – charged with one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens and one count of harboring aliens.

Seven of those indicted were arrested Sept. 27.

“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to enforcing our nation’s immigration laws. This includes limiting the demand for undocumented workers by prosecuting employers who knowingly hire illegal workers,” said Johnson.

The alleged fraud is in connection with contracts entered into with the U.S. Forest Service. Conspiracy to defraud the United States is punishable by a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both; three years’ supervised release (a violation of condition of release could result in two years’ additional incarceration on any such violation); a $100 assessment fee; and restitution.

Conspiracy to harbor aliens and harboring aliens is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both; three years’ supervised release (a violation of condition of release could result in two years’ additional incarceration on any such violation); a $100 assessment fee; and restitution.

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and all of the individuals named in the indictment are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty.

Two Criminal Aliens Sentenced for Alien Smuggling and Hostage Taking

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An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced Tuesday, September 25, 2012, to 36 months in prison for harboring illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Houston Police Department (HPD).

Carlos Martinez-Aguilar, 44, was sentenced Sept. 25 to three years in prison. Events leading to his arrest began Aug. 19, 2011, when the Houston Emergency Center received a 911 call at its operations facility from a subject who spoke only Spanish. The victim advised he was being held against his will at a house in Houston by alien smugglers who had been hired to smuggle him to an unspecified location in the United States. He claimed another person, later identified as Cesar Avila, 38, an illegal alien from Honduras, was armed with a handgun and had threatened to kill them. The victim indicated that he and others feared for their lives.

The 911 call was traced to a residence located on the 100 block of Jamaica Street in Houston by HPD officers. The building had no windows and the French doors on the north side of the residence had its glass panes covered with aluminum foil. Once inside, several people, later identified as hostages, began covertly pointing to Avila as the hostage taker and smuggler. Officers also discovered a semi-automatic handgun and a ledger detailing payments by the smuggling organization under the mattress where Avila was sitting.

Several of the aliens held hostage identified Martinez-Aguilar as having come into the building where they were being held, drinking beer with Avila prior to law enforcement arriving, and inquiring about the status of payments of smuggling fees. The victims indicated Martinez-Aguilar was not involved in abusing or threatening them and had provided them food and blankets. Officers discovered Martinez-Aguilar had been living in the larger house in front of the building where the aliens were housed.

Another victim stated that prior to the arrival of the police, he and the others were being held against their will and threatened with death if they did not pay or arrange to have paid another $5,000 to the smugglers.

Martinez-Aguilar pleaded guilty Jan. 31. Avila was convicted by a Houston jury June 6 and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 9, at which time he faces up to life in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Searle and Doug Davis, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted the case.

82 Freed from Horrific Alien Trafficking Stash House

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An alleged hostage situation resulted in 82 individuals being freed, and four suspected human smugglers arrested, Wednesday, September 19, 2012, from a human smuggling stash house by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and officers from the Houston Police Department (HPD).

A call was received Tuesday, September 18, 2012, from the mother of a 16 year-old female being held hostage in the Houston area. HSI and HPD initiated the investigation, resulting in the rescue of the teenager on Wednesday, September 19, 2012, in a parking lot located near I-10 and Gessner St.

Based on information developed at the scene, HSI identified a stash house, operating out of a residence located on the 3400 block of Boxelder Dr. in west Houston, suspected of holding 70 individuals who allegedly been smuggled into the United States. Additional information indicated that the individuals inside were being held against their will by smugglers carrying firearms.

A total of 86 individuals were discovered at the residence from the following countries: Costa  Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Of the 86 individuals encountered, 62 were male, 15 were female, and nine were juveniles. Their ages range from 14 to 48 years-old and four individuals encountered at the house are suspected of being human smugglers from Mexico.

“During the course of these investigations illegal aliens smuggled into the United States can become kidnapping victims while awaiting the payoff of smuggling fees,” said Sean McElroy, deputy special agent in charge of HSI Houston. “HSI is committed to using every available resource to identify, investigate and arrest those transnational criminal organizations involved in crimes related to hostage taking as well as human smuggling.”

All 82 freed from the stash house are currently in ICE custody and are undergoing administrative and medical processing. The investigation is ongoing.

Former CBP Agents Convicted for Extensive Alien Smuggling Ring

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Two former San Diego-area U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents face up to 50 years in prison following their conviction Friday, August 10, 2012, for operating a lucrative human smuggling ring that brought hundreds of Mexicans and Brazilians illegally into the United States using official agency vehicles.

Raul Villarreal, 42, and his brother, Fidel Villarreal, 44, both of San Diego, and a co-defendant, Armando Garcia, 44, of Tijuana, Mexico, who acted as a foot guide for the ring, were found guilty by a jury on multiple felony counts of conspiracy to smuggle aliens, money laundering and receiving bribes. The defendants will be sentenced in November by U.S. District Court Judge John Houston. In addition to prison time, the defendants could be required to pay more than $1.25 million in fines.

A fourth co-defendant, Claudia Gonzalez, of Tijuana, pleaded guilty in December 2009 to conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain, bribery and money laundering. Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced in September.

The verdicts of August 10, 2012, are the latest developments in a probe by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), aided by ICE Homeland Security Investigations, that began after the agency received a tip in 2005 involving allegations of public corruption tied to an alien smuggling ring.

“Raul and Fidel Villarreal committed an egregious breach of the deep trust placed in DHS employees by the American people they swore to protect and serve,” said Joe Jeronimo, special agent in charge for OPR Western Region. “While their actions are atypical of the dedication and integrity demonstrated by the vast majority of DHS employees, this verdict should nonetheless send a message about the serious consequences facing those who would exploit their positions and violate the law. The ICE Office of Professional Responsibility and the DHS Office of Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate such allegations and seek to prosecute perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law.”

All four defendants were arrested in Tijuana in October 2008 on arrest warrants obtained by ICE. The defendants were then extradited in March 2009 to the United States to face the federal charges.

According to court documents, ICE special agents conducted extensive surveillance of the defendants’ smuggling operations, using surveillance aircraft, GPS devices and video cameras mounted on poles along the California-Mexico border. The video showed Fidel Villarreal picking up groups of illegal aliens with his official Border Patrol vehicle and transporting them to designated staging locations to await their transportation into the interior.

Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Alien Smuggling; One Person Killed

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A Houston man pleaded guilty Monday, August 6, 2012, to unlawfully transporting 14 illegal aliens within the United States and causing one person’s death. This guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, from the Southern District of Texas.

Leonel Alvaro Abundis-Carreon, 22, who was smuggling illegal aliens in a pickup truck, crashed his truck when fleeing from law enforcement, resulting in the death of one person and to others being seriously injured.

This investigation was conducted by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Border Patrol.

Abundis-Carreon entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez-Ramos, who scheduled sentencing for Oct. 30. Abundis-Carreon faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine. He has been in custody since his arrest, where he will remain pending that hearing.

Early in the morning of Feb. 9, Border Patrol agents in Falfurrias, Texas, were advised to be on the lookout for a white Ford F-250 pickup truck that was possibly involved in alien smuggling. Moments later, agents saw a white Chevrolet pickup truck traveling north in Brooks County, Texas.

Several people were observed in the cab, with several more ducking down in the bed of the truck. When Border Patrol agents began following the truck, the driver sped off. The Border Patrol agents activated their emergency lights and siren, but the truck continued speeding north on FM 1538. After the road merged into County Road 417, the driver turned off the truck’s headlights and drove straight through a fence onto a privately owned ranch. Agents followed the truck’s dust cloud and found the vehicle facing south – on the opposite side of the fence line.

Several injured individuals and one deceased person were located near the scene of the crash.

Abundis-Carreon admitted to HSI agents that he was the driver of the truck and that he was being paid $125 for each alien being smuggled.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted the case.

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