ALBANY, NEW YORK - Daniel Humberto Pulido-Mojica, age 30, a citizen of Colombia, was sentenced on Friday to serve 11 months in prison for alien smuggling, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and U.S. Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent John C. Pfeifer.
In August, Pulido-Mojica pled guilty before United States District Court Judge David N. Hurd to transporting aliens unlawfully present in the United States. Judge Hurd also sentenced Pulido-Mojica to a two-year term of supervised release, to begin after his release from jail.
Pulido-Mojica, a lawful permanent resident of the United States living in Corona, New York, was prosecuted after he was encountered by Border Patrol just south of the international border between the United States and Canada near Champlain, New York. He was driving a van and transporting five illegal aliens. Pulido-Mojica had pulled up to the border shortly after midnight on June 20, 2015 and picked up the five aliens who had just illegally crossed the border from Canada on foot. Pulido-Mojica intended to drive the aliens to New Jersey, but he was stopped and arrested, together with his passengers.
The smuggled aliens, Brianth Steven Pineda Vallejo, age 23, from Colombia, Jacqueline Roberta Costa, age 39, of Brazil, Rafael Da Conceicao Santos, age 25, of Brazil, Miguel Eduardo Jara Elgueta, age 26, of Chile and Vipan Saini, age 38, of India, were also prosecuted. All but Costa were convicted of the misdemeanor offense of entry without inspection. Costa was convicted of the felony offense of re-entry of a removed alien.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and prosecuted by Edward P. Grogan.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
