A federal jury in Corpus Christi has found Ludivina Vasquez-Salinas, a 63-year-old resident of Penitas, guilty of transporting an undocumented immigrant further into the United States. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The trial lasted one day, and the jury reached its decision after about 25 minutes of deliberation.
Authorities encountered Vasquez-Salinas on May 7, 2025, while she was driving a white SUV. Initially, officers observed three people in the vehicle before noticing that the rear window became obscured as if covered by a blanket or another object.
According to testimony presented at trial, Vasquez-Salinas told authorities that only she and her daughter were in the car. However, law enforcement observed movement beneath a blanket on the rear floorboard. She later admitted to knowing there was an undocumented person in her vehicle and acknowledged she was transporting them past a checkpoint.
Her defense argued that she had been deceived into carrying the individual without her knowledge. The jury rejected this argument and found her guilty.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales presided over the proceedings and scheduled sentencing for May 27. At sentencing, Vasquez-Salinas could face up to five years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Her legal status to reside in the United States is also at risk.
Vasquez-Salinas remains in custody until sentencing.
The case was investigated by Customs and Border Protection and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Griffith and Izaak Bruce.
"This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime," according to officials.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas is part of the U.S. Department of Justice under supervision from the Attorney General (official website). This office employs more than 200 attorneys who prosecute federal crimes across 43 counties with a population exceeding nine million (official website). Its offices are located in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville (official website).
Past leaders have included Alamdar Hamdani (2022-2025) and Ryan Patrick (official history page), among others.
