Three U.S. Army soldiers from Fort Cavazos have pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the transportation of undocumented migrants for financial gain. Pfc. Enrique Jauregui, Spc. Angel Palma, and Pfc. Emilio Mendoza Lopez were involved in a smuggling attempt near Presidio, Texas, where they were to be paid for picking up migrants along the Rio Grande and transporting them to Odessa.
The soldiers face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigations Division. The soldiers communicated via WhatsApp messages, with Jauregui organizing the smuggling operation and recruiting Palma and Mendoza Lopez.
During a high-speed Border Patrol chase, the soldiers’ SUV hit a marked Border Patrol vehicle, injuring an agent. The chase ended in Presidio, where Mendoza Lopez and two Guatemalans were arrested, while Palma was found in a hotel in Odessa the next day. The documents do not indicate how long Jauregui had been involved in smuggling, but he mentioned plans to expand his operations to other areas.
The soldiers are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming months. The case highlights the issue of border corruption and the involvement of U.S. Army soldiers in migrant smuggling operations along the U.S.-Mexico border.
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