In a startling human smuggling case that injured a Border Patrol agent close to the Texas border, three U.S. Army personnel are facing federal charges.#AlpineTX #Texas #News #Crime
ALPINE, TX—Federal charges have been brought against three active-duty U.S. Army troops for their alleged involvement in a human smuggling operation along the Texas-Mexico border. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas made the arrests public on Wednesday. The charges include allegedly transporting unauthorized migrants and a federal agent being hurt in the process.
Traffic Stop Escalates into Violent Incident
A driving stop by a U.S. Border Patrol agent near Presidio, Texas, on November 27 marked the start of the case. The criminal complaint claims that when the agent got close to the passenger side of the car, the driver ran away and hit another Border Patrol car. An agent in the second car was hurt in the collision.
The evading car was chased and stopped by local law enforcement, including Presidio Police and Presidio County officers. Three noncitizens, two Guatemalan nationals, a Mexican national, and Emilio Mendoza Lopez, a soldier assigned to Fort Cavazos (previously Fort Hood), were among the four people arrested at the scene. Mendoza Lopez introduced himself as the passenger in the front seat.
After making his getaway on foot, the accused driver, Angel Palma, who was also assigned to Fort Cavazos, was apprehended the next day at a hotel in Odessa, Texas.
Evidence Points to Coordinated Smuggling Effort
According to investigators, Mendoza Lopez and Palma intended to smuggle unauthorized migrants when they proceeded from Fort Cavazos to Presidio. When Palma’s phone was searched, prosecutors found communications between him, Mendoza Lopez, and a third soldier, Enrique Jauregui, outlining the smuggling operation’s goals.
According to the prosecution, Mendoza Lopez and Palma reportedly drove from Fort Cavazos to Presidio in order to pick up and transfer undocumented noncitizens. By enlisting the other two men and handling the logistics, Jauregui is charged with planning the operation.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Mendoza Lopez appeared in court on December 2 and was charged with one count of harboring and bringing in foreign nationals. Palma and Jauregui, who were taken into custody at Fort Cavazos on December 3, are charged with the same offense in addition to another count of assaulting a federal agent.
The case, which is still being investigated, raises worries about networks of human smugglers taking advantage of military personnel. Given the involvement of active-duty soldiers and the injuries a federal agent suffered, prosecutors and law enforcement have emphasized the gravity of these allegations.
CONNECTED TOPICS: Mexico, Texas, and Crime
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