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Press Release

Nevada Woman Pleads Guilty to Transporting an Undocumented Mexican Toddler

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – Serafina Madrid, 35, of Las Vegas, Nev., pleaded guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a felony information charging her with transporting an illegal alien.  Under the terms of her plea agreement, Madrid will be sentenced to a term of probation to be determined by the court.

Madrid was arrested on Aug. 1, 2013, based on a criminal complaint charging her with unlawfully transporting of an illegal alien.  According to the criminal complaint, on that day, law enforcement officers encountered Madrid at the Greyhound bus station in Albuquerque.  At the time of the encounter, Madrid was transporting a 16-month old toddler from San Diego, Cal. to Atlanta, Ga.  The toddler was a Mexican national unlawfully in the United States.

In entering her guilty plea, Madrid admitted that she was transporting the child, who was an illegal alien from Mexico, when she was arrested on Aug. 1, 2013.   Madrid further admitted that she had been paid $1200.00 to transport the 16-month old toddler from San Diego, Calif., to Atlanta, Ga., and that she expected additional payment when she delivered the toddler to her mother in Georgia.

Madrid remains on conditions of release and under pretrial supervision pending her sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, with assistance from the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the Pueblo of Laguna Tribal Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lynn W.Y. Wang and Charles L. Barth.

Updated January 26, 2015