A 44-year-old Missouri City man has been found guilty of human smuggling after being convicted by a Corpus Christi federal jury.
Michael Dashun Howard, 44, was convicted of smuggling six people in the tractor and cab of his truck when he was stopped at the Javier Vega Jr. Border Patrol Checkpoint near Sarita on December 11, 2020.
According to authorities, a K-9 named Gaz alerted to the vehicle, prompting a secondary inspection where six people were found hidden between pallets of boxes and four more were located in the cab. All were found to be illegally present in the United States.
During the two-day trial, the jury heard from several agents who testified about their inspection of the vehicle and the discovery of the illegal citizens. They also heard recorded testimony of one of the smuggled individuals.
However, the defense attempted to convince the jury that the aliens had assaulted and kidnapped Howard. The defense claimed Howard was a victim, but the jury did not believe this and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales presided over the trial and set sentencing for November 12. At that time, Howard faces up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Howard has been and will remain in custody pending the hearing. The Border Patrol conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roland Swanson and Dennis Robinson are prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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