Fort Cavazos Soldiers Arrested on Human Smuggling Conspiracy Charges

ALPINE, Texas – Three Fort Cavazos soldiers were arrested on criminal charges related to their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle undocumented noncitizens.

According to court documents, a U.S. Border Patrol Agent initiated a vehicle stop in Presidio on Nov. 27. The vehicle fled as the agent approached the passenger side and struck a second USBP vehicle, injuring an agent inside, according to the filed criminal complaint. Presidio County Deputies and Presidio Police Officers eventually stopped the vehicle and apprehended four individuals, three of whom were undocumented noncitizens—one Mexican national and two Guatemalan nationals. The fourth individual was Emilio Mendoza Lopez, who claimed to be the front seat passenger in the vehicle. The driver, alleged to be Angel Palma, fled on foot and was located the following day at a hotel in Odessa.

Mendoza Lopez and Palma allegedly traveled from Fort Cavazos to Presidio for the purpose of picking up and transporting undocumented noncitizens. A third individual, Enrique Jauregui, is alleged to be the recruiter and facilitator of the human smuggling conspiracy. Data extracted from Palma’s phone through a search warrant revealed messages between the three soldiers indicating collaboration in the smuggling operation.

Mendoza Lopez made his initial appearance Dec. 2 in Alpine before U.S. Magistrate Judge David B. Fannin. Mendoza Lopez is charged with one count of bringing in and harboring aliens.

Palma and Jauregui were both arrested Dec. 3 on Fort Cavazos. They are scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Manske for their initial appearance hearings in Waco on Dec. 6. The two codefendants are charged in a separate criminal complaint with one count of bringing in and harboring aliens and one count of assaulting a federal agent. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

HSI, USBP and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Cayton is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

###