Kelly Denise Hernandez of Birmingham, Alabama, and Enrique Garcia-Gonzalez, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty on May 7 before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.
The case highlights efforts by federal authorities to address crimes related to the unlawful transportation of individuals who have entered the United States illegally.
According to admissions made during their pleas, Hernandez, Garcia-Gonzalez, and another co-conspirator agreed to transport and did transport illegal aliens smuggled into the country from Mexico. The group traveled from Birmingham, Alabama, to Houston, Texas with plans to charge each individual a fee for unlawful transportation within the United States. Law enforcement apprehended Hernandez and Garcia-Gonzalez in Denham Springs, Louisiana as they returned toward Birmingham.
If convicted, both defendants face up to ten years in prison as well as a $250,000 fine and supervised release. Additionally, Garcia-Gonzalez is subject to removal or deportation from the United States after serving his sentence.
U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall said he praised "the work of the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter." Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III and Special Assistant United States Attorney Allen L. Ross are leading the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative described as marshaling "the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration," eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from violent crime.
