TUCSON, Ariz. – In a shocking turn of events, Xochil Elizabeth Hernandez, 19, of Tucson, Arizona, has been sentenced to two concurrent terms of 36 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Hernandez previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle aliens and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
At the time of the offense, Hernandez was serving a term of supervised release for a prior alien smuggling conviction. Her supervised release in the prior case was revoked, and she was sentenced to serve six months in addition to the 36 months for the new charge.
On November 6, 2021, an Arizona Department of Public Safety Officer pulled over Hernandez’s vehicle for a traffic infraction near Amado, Arizona. The DPS officer, assisted by nearby Border Patrol agents, discovered the front seat passenger was an undocumented noncitizen. The DPS officer and agents discovered two more undocumented noncitizens hidden in the trunk of the vehicle.
They also discovered a bag of .45 caliber ammunition in Hernandez’s purse and a pellet gun designed to look like a Glock handgun in the glove compartment. Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol and the Arizona Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case.
The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. Hernandez is now facing a minimum of three years and six months in prison, a harsh sentence for her crimes.
The case number is CR-21-3238-TUC-JGZ; CR-20-1548-02-TUC-JGZ, and the release number is 2022-068_Hernandez. For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/.
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
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Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Category: Human Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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