Smugglers Arrested
EAGLE PASS, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Eagle Pass South Station and the Del Rio Sector Field Intelligence Team, along with agents from Homeland Security Investigations, converged on a stash house in the 1300 block of North Street in Eagle Pass. A total of 21 people were apprehended in this case, including two suspected smugglers.
“Human smuggling is a problem that plagues all communities on the border,” said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Felix Chavez. “Unfortunately, this problem is compounded by the large profits that draw individuals to join criminal smuggling organizations. We remain committed to seeking out, identifying, and bringing to justice those who callously break our nation’s laws and jeopardize human lives.”
On June 28, agents in Eagle Pass witnessed a group of subjects exit the brush and load into a vehicle. The agents followed the vehicle until it stopped near Eidson Road in Eagle Pass. The driver, later identified as 31-year-old Adrian Jose Flores of Lufkin, and three occupants fled from the vehicle and led agents on a foot chase through the surrounding neighborhood. All were apprehended a short time later.
Investigative efforts in conjunction with these arrests brought about the discovery of the alien stash house in Eagle Pass where agents and officers arrested an additional 15 persons. All were illegally present in the United States and were transported to the Eagle Pass South Station for processing. The group consisted of persons from Mexico and Central America.
A total of 20 illegal aliens were apprehended in this event. The smuggled individuals, some of whom had previously been removed from the country, were charged with being illegally present in the United States. Flores, along with 18-year-old Piedras Negras, Mexico resident Alexis Emanuel Gutierrez-Rodriguez, are charged by a federal criminal complaint with one count of transporting illegal aliens. According to court documents, Gutierrez acted as a foot-guide used to smuggle the illegal aliens into the United States; and, Flores stated that he was paid $400 to transport the illegal aliens to the stash house. Both remain in federal custody.
A criminal complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Del Rio Border Patrol Sector is part of the Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations. To report suspicious activity call the Del Rio Sector’s toll free number at 1-866-511-8727.