A former U.S. Army soldier from Fort Hood has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain. The sentencing took place in Pecos, Texas, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens of ICE Homeland Security Investigations El Paso commented on the case, stating, "The sentencing of these individuals underscores the serious consequences of engaging in human smuggling." He emphasized that recruiting fellow soldiers for illegal activities represents a betrayal of duty and public trust.
Court documents revealed that Enrique Jauregui, aged 26, organized a smuggling event in 2024. He recruited fellow soldiers Angel Palma, 21, and Emilio Mendoza-Lopez, 22, providing them with information to pick up illegal aliens and promising payment after completing their task.
On November 27, 2024, Palma and Mendoza-Lopez traveled from Fort Hood to Presidio, Texas, to collect three illegal aliens. They led Border Patrol agents on a high-speed chase during which they collided with a marked Border Patrol vehicle, injuring an agent inside. While fleeing on foot after abandoning their vehicle, all but Palma were apprehended immediately; he was later arrested at a hotel in Odessa, Texas.
All three co-defendants pleaded guilty early in 2025. In May, Palma and Mendoza-Lopez received sentences of 24 months each in federal prison. Besides imprisonment, they were sentenced to three years of supervised release alongside Jauregui who also faces a $10,000 fine. U.S. District Judge David Counts presided over the hearings.
U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas remarked on the case: "These three individuals turned their backs on their values in a way that put our nation at risk." He warned that anyone seeking personal gain through illegal immigration would face federal prosecution.
Special Agent in Charge Lane Allen of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Central Texas Field Office highlighted inter-agency cooperation: "This sentencing demonstrates the strong partnership between Army CID, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Border Patrol."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Cayton prosecuted this case as part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
