Three U.S. Army soldiers from Fort Cavazos have pleaded guilty to a migrant smuggling attempt in West Texas. They were caught after a high-speed U.S. Border Patrol chase in which they were transporting undocumented migrants for financial gain. The soldiers were to be paid on Nov. 27 for picking up migrants along the Rio Grande near Presidio and transporting them to Odessa, Texas.
Army Pfc. Enrique Jauregui and Spc. Angel Palma pleaded guilty in federal court to aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens, while Pfc. Emilio Mendoza Lopez also pleaded guilty to the same charge. All three face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigations Division.
The smuggling attempt was organized by Jauregui, and the soldiers planned a route to bypass a Border Patrol checkpoint. Jauregui was heard in audio messages telling Palma to be in “full criminal mode” and “full thug mode,” indicating their involvement in criminal activities.
The smuggling attempt took place on Nov. 27 when a Border Patrol agent noticed suspicious activity along the Rio Grande. A high-speed chase ensued, resulting in an agent being injured when the SUV carrying the migrants hit a Border Patrol vehicle. Ultimately, the soldiers and the migrants were arrested in Presidio. Palma fled but was later apprehended in Odessa.
The soldiers face sentencing in the coming months, and the case sheds light on the issue of border corruption and criminal activity involving military personnel.
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