Enrique Jauregui, Alien Smuggling, Texas 2024

A 33-month federal prison sentence has been handed down to Enrique Jauregui, a former Fort Hood soldier, for his role in a high-speed chase involving illegal aliens.

In 2024, Jauregui, 26, recruited fellow soldiers Angel Palma, 21, and Emilio Mendoza Lopez, 22, to aid in the transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain. Palma, Mendoza Lopez, and Jauregui were each charged with aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain.

On November 27, 2024, Palma and Mendoza Lopez drove from Fort Hood to Presidio and picked up three illegal aliens before leading U.S. Border Patrol agents on a high-speed chase. At one point, the defendants hit a marked USBP vehicle with an agent inside, causing injuries. Palma and Mendoza Lopez, along with the three illegal aliens, fled the vehicle on foot. All were apprehended except for Palma, who was located at a hotel in Odessa and eventually arrested.

Palma and Mendoza Lopez pleaded guilty in early 2025 and were each sentenced to 24 months in federal prison in May. In addition to their imprisonment, Palma, Mendoza Lopez, and Jauregui were also sentenced to three years of supervised release. Jauregui was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.

According to U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons, the sentencing of Jauregui and his co-conspirators sends a strong message that aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens will not be tolerated.

The case against Jauregui and his co-conspirators was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division's Central Texas Field Office.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/pr/former-fort-hood-soldiers-sentenced-federal-prison-alien-smuggling