Sharnesia Latrice Cooley, a 31-year-old resident of Tucson, has been sentenced to five years in prison for her involvement in transporting illegal aliens for profit. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash following Cooley's conviction on November 1, 2024.

The case dates back to February 2, 2024, when a United States Border Patrol camera operator near Naco observed four suspected undocumented noncitizens approaching a Volkswagen Routan. A Border Patrol agent later saw the group enter the vehicle. Upon stopping the Routan, agents found it occupied by Cooley, her two-year-old son, and co-defendant Mariana Garcia-Tapia. Nearby, four individuals with serious injuries were discovered along the road east of the San Pedro Bridge. Their injuries suggested they had jumped from a moving vehicle and all were determined to be illegally present in the U.S. One admitted to arranging their smuggling into the country for payment.

Garcia-Tapia pleaded guilty on July 10, 2024, to conspiracy charges related to transporting illegal aliens and endangering lives. She received a similar five-year sentence on November 15, 2024, with an additional year added for violating supervised release conditions in another case.

The investigation was conducted by Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol. The prosecution was managed by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Renee Quezada and Caroline Allen from the District of Arizona in Tucson.

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