A Laredo man has been sentenced to federal prison for transporting illegal aliens, as announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Braulio Ivan Rueda, 23, pleaded guilty on February 27 and will serve a 21-month sentence in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña.
The incident occurred on November 25, 2024, when several individuals entered an SUV with fictitious plates near the Rio Grande River. Rueda was driving the vehicle. When authorities attempted to intercept the SUV, four Guatemalan nationals fled towards the river. Rueda led law enforcement on a three-mile chase before stopping in a commercial parking lot and attempting to flee on foot. Authorities quickly apprehended him and found the four illegal aliens.
Rueda admitted that he needed money and agreed to smuggle the aliens for what he described as "easy money." One of the individuals stated that arrangements had been made in Guatemala for their smuggling into the United States and subsequent pickup near Laredo.
Rueda is currently awaiting transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from Border Patrol, Laredo Police Department, Webb County Sheriff’s Office, and Webb County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez is prosecuting the case.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
