Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Alien Smuggling

Gulfport, Miss. – Rebecca Ann McLean, 27, a resident of Texas, pled guilty today before U.S. District Sul Ozerden to unlawful transportation of aliens within the United States for commercial advantage or private financial gain, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, and Gregory K. Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector. 

McLean will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on January 10, 2020, at 9:00 a.m., and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and special assessments that could total $5,100. 

On May 18, 2018, a Hancock County Sheriff’s Office deputy was in the area of I-10 eastbound near Diamondhead, Mississippi, when he observed a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with Texas license plates driving carelessly.  A traffic stop was initiated and another deputy arrived to assist.  The driver of the vehicle was Pascual Lopez-Lopez, who did not have a driver’s license and was an illegal alien from Mexico.   Deputies also saw several people lying down in the SUV, and found eight illegal aliens from Mexico (including the driver).  Defendant Rebecca McLean, a U.S. citizen and Texas resident, was the front seat passenger.  Further investigation showed she was taking the eight men to Florida.

A deputy contacted the Department of Homeland Security, Blue Lightening Operations Center which contacted a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  Deputies collected the names and birth dates of the eight males and discovered one was a juvenile.  All, except for the juvenile, were transported to the Hancock County Jail.  HSI determined the occupants of the vehicle were, indeed, illegally present in the U.S. and were being smuggled/transported by McLean.  Three of the illegal aliens had been previously deported from the United States. 

U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jay Golden and Stan Harris were the prosecutors for the case.