U.S. officials arrested three U.S. Army personnel stationed at Fort Cavazos in late November and earlier this week for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to smuggle illegal immigrants into the U.S.
[RELATED: Texas Law Enforcement Arrest Mexican National Smuggling a Five-Year-Old Girl into the U.S…]
The arrests stem from a Nov. 27 incident in Presidio, Texas, when a U.S. Border Patrol agent attempted to stop a vehicle suspected of smuggling activity.
The driver of the vehicle reportedly attempted to flee as the Border Patrol agent approached his car and drove off, striking another Border Patrol vehicle and injuring an agent inside.
Law enforcement officers eventually caught up with the vehicle, apprehending four individuals, including three illegal immigrants allegedly being smuggled into the U.S.: a Mexican national and two Guatemalan nationals.
Border Patrol identified the other individual as Emilio Mendoza Lopez, a member of the U.S. military stationed at Fort Cavazos.
The driver, later identified as Angel Palma, allegedly tried to flee again, this time on foot, but was found the next day at a hotel in Odessa.
Law enforcement did not immediately arrest Palma, but they did obtain a search warrant for his phone and reportedly discovered messages implicating him, Mendoza Lopez, and another soldier, Enrique Jauregui, in a human smuggling scheme.
Investigators allege that Mendoza Lopez and Palma traveled from Fort Cavazos to Presidio to transport the illegal aliens, while Jauregui acted as a recruiter and facilitator.
Mendoza Lopez appeared in federal court in Alpine on December 2, facing one count of bringing in and harboring aliens.
Officials arrested Palma and Jauregui on Tuesday at Fort Cavazos.
They are being tried as co-defendants and face charges of bringing in and harboring illegal aliens, and assaulting a federal agent.
Mendoza Lopez was charged separately and faces the illegal immigrant smuggling charge but was not accused of assaulting a federal agent.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="33049 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=33049">2 Comments
Jauregui, Lopez and Palma. This is what DEI has brought to the U S armed forces???
Mud Monkeys whose loyalty is to their Race not their Country . Are they even citizens ? it will always be Ft. HOOD not some Beaner name.