A 32-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced to 60 months in prison on charges related to human smuggling and illegal possession of a firearm, as revealed by Swanton Sector Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia on social media.
"A citizen of Mexico illegally present in the U.S. was recently sentenced to 5 years in prison for human smuggling while in possession of a loaded handgun near Chateauguay, New York", said Robert Garcia, according to X.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York disclosed that Rey Felix-Rubio illegally entered the United States in 2021. In February 2023, Felix-Rubio attempted to smuggle five Mexican nationals into the U.S. near the northern border in Chateauguay, New York. As an undocumented immigrant, he was also found to be unlawfully in possession of a firearm.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced Felix-Rubio's sentence according to a media release. Felix-Rubio pleaded guilty to the charges in March 2023.
Per the news release, upon completion of his sentence, Felix-Rubio will be subject to a one-year supervised release and will be taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for deportation under orders from United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. The case was investigated by United States Border Patrol’s Burke Station and HSI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Stitt prosecuting.
Garcia recently reported a record-breaking surge of illegal entries from Canada into the Swanton Sector area. He wrote on social media: "A citizen’s report in Champlain, N.Y., led to the arrest of 10 Bangladesh citizens. Agents rely on the vigilance of our community."
