A prolific alien smuggler was sentenced to 99 months in prison for hurling a softball-sized rock at a U.S. Border Patrol agent and for alien smuggling.
Martel Valencia-Cortez, a 39-year-old Mexican national, was convicted by a federal jury in May of all counts, including one count of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon and three counts of bringing in an alien for financial gain.
U.S. District Judge Marilyn Huff imposed an 87-month sentence for the four counts, plus an additional 12 months in custody for violating the terms of supervised release from a 2013 alien smuggling conviction.
On November 15, 2015, less than two months after his deportation to Mexico following the completion of a 33-month sentence for a prior alien smuggling conviction, Valencia re-entered the United States guiding a group of 15 undocumented immigrants.
When the trip through the mountains in rough terrain and inclement weather was interrupted by agents, Valencia threw a softball-sized rock from a distance of approximately 30 feet that hit an agent on the side of the face.
The agent said he had never been hit that hard in his life, and he felt an overwhelming pain that caused him to feel dazed and disoriented, as if he was going to pass out.
This sentence is a fitting reminder that the safety of our courageous agents, who put their lives on the line every day to protect our country, is of paramount importance to our office and to the community, said Acting U.S. Attorney Alana W. Robinson.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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