Luis Ruiz-Valadez, Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens, Texas 2024

A high-speed pursuit and crash on Expressway 83 has led to smuggling charges against a 22-year-old man.

Luis Ruiz-Valadez, a McAllen resident, was taken into federal custody on April 18, 2024, after a pursuit by law enforcement.

The criminal complaint alleges that Ruiz-Valadez was waiting in a red Ford F-150 pick-up truck in a parking lot near the border wall in Hidalgo, Texas, when several subjects breached the wall and ran to the truck.

According to the charges, Ruiz-Valadez fled the scene at a high rate of speed and failed to yield when law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop for speeding.

During the high-speed pursuit, authorities observed three subjects laying in the bed of the truck, the complaint states.

Ruiz-Valadez allegedly crashed into a cement barricade on Expressway 83 and was taken into custody.

If convicted, Ruiz-Valadez faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/dangerous-pursuit-and-crash-results-smuggling-charges