A 29-year-old Cuban immigrant has been convicted of transporting illegal aliens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery in a federal case in Corpus Christi, Texas.
According to the investigation, Ciro Yasel Castillo drove an SUV into the primary inspection area at the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias on March 15, 2020. He claimed he and his three passengers were Cubans, but no one could provide proof of legal immigration status.
Following a two-day trial, Castillo was found guilty by a federal jury sitting in Corpus Christi, which deliberated for three hours. The jury heard that Castillo became combative with law enforcement during the secondary inspection, resisting arrest for several minutes and inflicting minor injuries on some of the agents.
Authorities determined that two of the passengers were minors from Guatemala illegally present in the United States, and the other was an illegal alien from Cuba. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the Cuban passenger, Lazaro Fidel Lopez – Torres, 30, was part of a conspiracy to transport the two minor aliens. He eventually pleaded guilty for his role in that crime.
Castillo’s defense attempted to convince the jury that he was an unofficial Uber driver, claiming he accepted $500 via Western Union from an unknown person to pick up the two teenagers from the Valley in the middle of the night and take them to Houston. However, the jury did not find these claims credible and found him guilty.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton presided over the trial and set sentencing for July 1. At that time, Castillo faces up to 10 years of imprisonment and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The investigation was conducted by the Border Patrol, and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda L. Gould and Molly Smith.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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