Former soldiers at Fort Hood, in central Texas, were sentenced to prison for a scheme to smuggle illegal aliens for money.
“These three individuals turned their backs on their values in a way that put our nation at risk, and put at risk the lives of others, including the lives of law enforcement officers,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas in a press release.
Former Army soldier Enrique Jauregui, 26, allegedly hatched a smuggling scheme in 2024, according to the June 18 release. Last year, he reportedly recruited fellow soldiers Angel Palma, 21, and Emilio Mendoza-Lopez, 22, to smuggle illegals for money. All three have been sentenced to federal prison.
In May, Palma and Mendoza-Lopez were each sentenced to 24 months, according to the release. A Pecos federal court recently sentenced the other suspect to 33 months for “aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain.” The soldiers all pleaded guilty earlier this year.
The soldiers were each also sentenced to three years of “supervised release,” and Jauregui was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. U.S. District Judge David Counts oversaw the case. They were stationed near Killeen at Fort Hood, whose name was recently reinstated after being renamed Fort Cavazos.
Jauregui organized a “smuggling event” in 2024, according to the release. He allegedly provided Palma and Mendoza-Lopez “location information” to pick up three illegal aliens, “supported them with encouraging instructions,” and intended to pay the soldiers after they dropped off the illegals.
Palma and Mendoza-Lopez reportedly drove from Fort Hood to the small border town of Presidio, just northwest of Big Bend Ranch State Park, on November 27. They picked up the illegals, then the suspects fled from Border Patrol agents in a “high-speed chase.”
“At one point, the defendants hit a marked Border Patrol vehicle with an agent inside, causing injuries,” the release said.
Palma, Mendoza-Lopez, and the illegals fled their vehicle. Authorities arrested all of them except for Palma, who was later arrested after police found him at a hotel in the West Texas city of Odessa.
“Recruiting fellow soldiers to participate in illegal activities, culminating in a reckless high-speed chase with law enforcement, is a blatant betrayal of duty and public trust,” said Jason Stevens, special agent in charge of ICE-Homeland Security Investigations of El Paso, in the release.
Stevens used the sentencing as an example of the “serious consequences of human trafficking.” He said ICE-HSI is “committed to dismantling smuggling networks and ensuring those responsible face justice.”
Lane Allen, special agent in charge of the Army Criminal Investigations’ Central Texas Field Office, said in the release, “maintaining the readiness and integrity of our fighting force remains our top priority.”
This case falls under “Operation Take Back America,” according to the release, which uses “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.”
As The Dallas Express previously reported, this initiative recently led to charges against South Texas oil operators for aiding a Mexican cartel.
“Everyone in this district, regardless of whether you wear the uniform or not, should take note,” Simmons said in the release. “If you seek to enrich yourself by moving illegal aliens into or through this country, you will face the consequences of federal prosecution and will likely find yourself in federal prison.”