Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A man from Jonesboro, Arkansas, has been found guilty of illegally transporting four undocumented immigrants. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei following a brief jury deliberation after a two-day trial.
Noel Mercado, 48, was convicted on two counts of alien smuggling after being apprehended at the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint on January 5th. Mercado was driving a Ford F350 pickup truck when a K-9 unit alerted authorities to his vehicle, prompting further inspection.
An x-ray scan revealed that two individuals were hidden in modified wheel well compartments of the truck and another two were concealed in an auxiliary fuel tank beneath the truck bed. The individuals were identified as illegal aliens from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
During the trial, Mercado testified that he had traveled to the Rio Grande Valley for trading baseball cards and collectibles and claimed ignorance of the presence of any individuals in his vehicle. However, the jury rejected his defense and delivered a guilty verdict.
“As the Department cracks down on human smuggling and illegal immigration, we can expect smugglers to get more desperate, and thus more creative,” stated Ganjei. “I would like to thank the jury for their service.”
The case was overseen by U.S. District Judge David S. Morales who scheduled sentencing for June 11th. Mercado could face up to five years in federal prison per count along with a potential $250,000 fine.
The investigation was carried out by Customs and Border Protection with Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lamont and Ashley Pruitt prosecuting the case.
