LAREDO, Texas - A federal grand Jury in Laredo has returned an indictment against Jesus Roldan Rubio for attempting to smuggle more than $100,000, a pistol and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Rubio was initially charged via criminal complaint Jan. 20, 2015. He was indicted Feb. 3 and is set for an arraignment this morning at 11:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested Rubio, 46, of Puebla, Mexico, Jan. 16, 2015. Court documents allege he was attempting to exit the U.S. via the Lincoln Juarez International Bridge driving a 2012 Chrysler. At that time, he had advised Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers that he had no monetary instruments or cash exceeding $10,000, no weapons and no ammunition.
However, he was referred to secondary inspection during which time an x-ray inspection resulted in the discovery of anomalies to the vehicle’s battery. A visual inspection confirmed the battery itself had been replaced with a counterfeit battery composed of a small motorcycle battery surrounded by a battery case containing packages containing $109,270, a semi-automatic pistol and 100 rounds of pistol ammunition.
If convicted, Rubio faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
The charges are the result of an investigation by CBP, HSI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jose Homero Ramirez and Mary Ellen Smyth are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
