Posted on 08/03/2007 11:10:24 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
The sister and brother-in-law of a Texas National Guardsman accused of being the ringleader in an undocumented immigrant smuggling case were indicted Thursday on charges of harboring and conspiring to transport the migrants.Sgt. Julio Cesar Pacheco's sister, Luisa Pacheco, 31, and her husband Jerry Zuñiga, 29, were arrested Wednesday afternoon by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Luisa Pacheco and Zuñiga were added to the indictment along with those who already had been indicted: guardsmen Pacheco, 25; Fort Worth native Sgt. Clarence Hodge Jr., 36; and Laredoan Pfc. Jose Rodrigo Torres, 26.
The three guardsmen were arrested in early June and indicted on July 2. They have since pleaded not guilty. The Pachecos' brother, Benito Pacheco, said he doesn't believe the Pachecos or Zuñiga are guilty and said the family is hiring a lawyer for Luisa Pacheco and her husband.
The U.S. Attorney's office charges that all five suspects conspired to transport and transported a total of 112 undocumented immigrants on multiple occasions between May 17 and June 7. The guardsmen face one count of conspiring and five counts of transporting undocumented immigrants.
Luisa Pacheco and Zuñiga sheltered the immigrants before they were taken further north, the U.S. Attorney's office alleges.
On top of a single count each for conspiring to transport, Luisa Pacheco and Zuñiga also are charged with five counts of harboring illegal immigrants. The couple is accused of keeping five of the 24 illegal immigrants that Torres was caught transporting on Interstate 35, about 65 miles north of Laredo, on June 7.
Julio Pacheco, a Purple Heart recipient, allegedly led Torres to Pacheco's sister's home on Totem Pole Lane in Laredo via text message to pick up undocumented immigrants awaiting transportation, the U.S. Attorney's office said in a statement. Hodge is accused of allowing Torres to pass the Border Patrol checkpoint on north I-35 without inspection when Torres was driving a group of undocumented immigrants in a National Guard-leased white Ford van.
A criminal complaint against the guardsmen outlined a series of text messages allegedly sent to and from each of the men's cell phones to coordinate the smuggling events.
According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Torres was paid between $1,000 and $3,500 per trip by either Pacheco or Hodge. The criminal complaint included information from several undocumented immigrants found in the van Torres was driving June 7. The immigrants said they paid $1,500 to $2,000 to be taken as far north as Dallas.
Guardsmen Pacheco, Torres and Hodge were assigned to the Laredo checkpoint on I-35 as part of Operation Jump Start, a border security initiative placing National Guardsmen on the border to assist Border Patrol with administrative work.
The guardsmen have entered not guilty pleas. Their attorneys said they have yet to receive documentation of the text messages that allegedly link Pacheco, Torres and Hodge to the conspiracy.
Benito Pacheco has defended his guardsman brother from the beginning and he is now taking a stand for his sister and brother-in-law.
"She's a loving mother and she's worked hard for her kids," Benito Pacheco said Thursday. "I'm just fighting my emotions right now."
Benito, a contract worker, said he happened to be present when his sister was arrested at Wells Fargo at about 4 p.m. Wednesday. He said she has worked there for six years and is now the lead bank teller; he was fixing a vehicle in the bank's parking lot when the ICE agents arrived.
Stunned by the sudden turn of events, Benito Pacheco said, Luisa Pacheco was concerned only for the well being of her children and asked that he look after her 2- and 8-year-old daughters.
Zuñiga, an assistant manager at an auto parts store, was also arrested at work, Benito Pacheco said.
Benito believes it is unlikely the couple participated in the activities for which they are accused. Luisa is a dedicated mother and Benito said it "would kill her" to be in a position where her daughters might be taken away.
Luisa Pacheco and Zuñiga's home on Totem Pole Lane is just blocks from Benito Pacheco's house. He said they frequent each other's homes to drop off and pick up the children or to stop by for dinner on a weekly basis.
During none of the visits did Benito Pacheco notice anything that would indicate suspicious activity, such as hiding undocumented immigrants, he said at his home Thursday.
Benito Pacheco said the family plans to hire an attorney for his sister and brother-in-law.
"We're a very committed family. If something's needed everybody jumps in," he said, adding that family members were pooling their efforts to come up with the money to pay for Luisa's $75,000 bond.
Zuñiga's bond was set at $100,000. As of Wednesday afternoon Pacheco and Zuñiga remained in custody at the Webb County Jail.
If convicted on the conspiracy charges the suspects face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The five counts against each guardsmen for transporting and the charges against Pacheco and Zuñiga for harboring the immigrants carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
Julio Pacheco, Torres and Hodge are scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on Aug. 15 before U.S. District Court Judge Diana Saldaña. Luisa Pacheco and Zuñiga are scheduled for a hearing on Aug. 9.
(Ashley Richards may be reached at 728-2538 or by e-mail at ashley@lmtonline.com)
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One question for anyone here: does the prosecution of this case depend on USA Johnny Sutton of the Southern District to prosecute? If so I wonder if he will call on drug smuggler extraordinaire Aldrete Davila (and give him another FREE pass to come and go with his drug shipments) to testify in federal court on just how upstanding these people are and that Americans are just trying to frame his fellows criminal wannabe compadres because they are upset with El Jefe Juan Sutton.
Laredo is in the southern district court territory.
But shoot a drug smuggling alien in the butt and go to jail for 12!
And finally got caught.
The Guardsman needs to be reminded of his Oath and it's consequences,, harshly.
The money these illegals pay to get here does not compute with the low wages they supposedly earn. Then on top of this, we hear about the fortunes they send home. There's BIG money involved here, much bigger than we're being told about.
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