CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 24-year-old illegal alien from Mexico has been ordered to federal prison for transporting illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Juan Diego Lozano-Salgado pleaded guilty March 2, 2016, to transporting undocumented aliens on Dec. 13, 2015.
Today, U.S. Senior District Judge Hayden Head sentenced Lozano-Salgado to 60 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following his release from prison.
Lozano-Salgado was responsible for coordinating the transportation of illegal aliens from the brush north of the Border Patrol checkpoints to Houston. His role included being a foot guide through the brush and coordinating the pick-up of the aliens by vehicle on Highway 281 near Falfurrias.
On the evening of Dec. 13, 2015, a group of aliens Lozano-Salgado guided entered a pick-up truck near Brooks County and travelled North on U.S. Highway 281. A total of 14 people including Lozano-Salgado were in the pick-up, both in the interior cab and in the bed. Law enforcement spotted the truck and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, at which time the truck sped off in an attempt to elude capture. Shortly thereafter, officers in the area responded to a vehicle accident where it was discovered that the truck had left the road and had hit a tree in a head-on collision. The driver and one passenger had been pronounced dead at the scene and several others were transported to area hospitals. Twelve additional subjects were later determined to be unlawfully present in the United States. The deceased passenger still remains unidentified.
Lozano-Salgado will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation along with the Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Border Patrol and the Brooks County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany L. Jensen is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
