Victor Manuel Moreno-Ruiz, Alien Smuggling, Texas 2015

McALLEN, Texas - A 32-year-old man from Mexico has been ordered to prison after knowingly transporting an illegal alien within the United States for private financial gain. Victor Manuel Moreno-Ruiz, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty on September 2, 2015, to alien smuggling charges.

According to court documents, Moreno-Ruiz served as a foot guide responsible for smuggling a group of undocumented aliens into the United States on August 4, 2014. He instructed them how to walk along the side of the bridge and how to scale down from it at the Pharr Port of Entry.

During the smuggling operation, a female illegal alien fell off the bridge and landed on the ground underneath, suffering severe injuries. Moreno-Ruiz ordered two other undocumented aliens to move the woman from the main road to a brushy area so as not to compromise the smuggling route.

The next day, law enforcement officers discovered the deceased body of the female victim. An autopsy revealed she had died as a result of blunt force trauma due to a fall.

U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez handed Moreno-Ruiz a 150-month sentence, noting that he displayed a complete and callous disregard for the life of the woman.

As an illegal alien himself, Moreno-Ruiz is expected to face deportation proceedings following his release from prison. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The charges were the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance by Border Patrol, Pharr Police Department, and Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Ann Leo and Alex Benavides prosecuted the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/mexican-national-sentenced-alien-smuggling-case-resulted-death