Jose Luis Vega-Arzate, Alien Smuggling, Texas 2023

A 31-year-old undocumented alien, Jose Luis Vega-Arzate, has admitted to transporting 85 aliens in a hot trailer, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. Vega-Arzate, a native of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport undocumented aliens for financial gain.

On May 11, Vega-Arzate drove a tractor trailer into the Border Patrol checkpoint north of Laredo, displaying nervous behavior and having trouble shifting gears.

After a K-9 unit alerted to the trailer, authorities broke the seal and opened it, discovering 85 individuals locked inside. They were later determined to be illegally present in the United States.

Vega-Arzate told authorities that he had agreed to pay $8,000 to have himself smuggled from Mexico into the country and transported to Austin. He volunteered to drive the tractor trailer through the Border Patrol checkpoint to receive a large reduction in his own transportation fee. He did not possess experience or a commercial driving license to drive a tractor trailer in Texas.

Court documents revealed that Vega-Arzate was cautioned to avoid stopping on the way to San Antonio because the undocumented individuals could die due to lack of ventilation resulting from the trailer’s lack of movement.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing on October 20. At that time, Vega-Arzate faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

He has been and will remain in custody pending the hearing.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez is prosecuting this case.

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