One bust involved a man accused of smuggling five illegal aliens; another netted a bus passenger wanted for rape.

Here are this week’s three biggest criminal apprehensions at the Texas border:

1. Yukon or Tahoe? Border Patrol Busts Alleged Smuggler With 5 Aliens

A Border Patrol chief announced the arrest and prosecution of an alleged human smuggler last week — but the details seemed to shift depending on where you looked.

Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez of the Rio Grande Valley sector posted on X on May 21 that agents had intercepted a white Tahoe allegedly used in an alien smuggling operation near Weslaco. “Great Teamwork!” she wrote, alongside a photo showing one detained driver and five apparent illegal aliens.

 

A separate post by the same Border Patrol sector — this time on Facebook — described the vehicle as a white Yukon. The types of vehicles described are very similar. However, the photo depicts a GMC, and only GMC makes the Yukon.

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Both posts claimed the driver was prosecuted under 8 U.S. Code § 1324, a statute commonly used in human smuggling cases. The names of those involved have not been released, and neither post included a specific date of arrest or location beyond the general sector.

According to federal law, § 1324 violations can carry up to 10 years per count, with heightened penalties if the smuggling was done for profit or in a manner that endangered human life.

The incident appears to be one of several recent smuggling cases in the Rio Grande Valley, a region that federal officials routinely cite as a major corridor for illegal entry and trafficking.

2. Minnesota Rape Suspect Nabbed at Border

A man wanted for rape in Minnesota was arrested over Memorial Day weekend while attempting to enter the United States through a Texas port of entry, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection press release.

CBP officials say 50-year-old Nestor Martinez Carrillo was traveling by bus when he arrived at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge near Laredo on May 24. Officers reportedly flagged Carrillo for secondary inspection, then used biometric tools and law enforcement databases to confirm his identity.

Officials say Carrillo had an outstanding felony arrest warrant issued by the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota. The warrant, originally filed in August 2020, stemmed from a third-degree criminal sexual conduct case involving a failure to appear in court.

He was transported to the Webb County Jail and booked the same day, The Dallas Express reported. Jail records show Carrillo now faces a charge of “sexual assault.” Like all criminal charges, the allegations remain unproven until tried in court.

CBP officials cited the National Crime Information Center — a federal database for active warrants — as the tool that allowed officers to confirm Carrillo’s fugitive status.

The arrest was one of several over Memorial Day weekend. According to CBP, another individual wanted in Dallas County for allegedly soliciting minors online was apprehended on May 26, while yet another man accused of rape in Illinois was caught on May 21. A twice-deported sex offender, convicted of assaulting a 14-year-old, was reportedly picked up that same day.

“These types of apprehension perfectly exemplify CBP’s ongoing commitment to keeping our communities secure,” said Port Director Tater Ortiz in the agency’s press release.

3. Jesus Cedillo Turned A $6K Job Into A 10-Year Sentence for Moving Cocaine

A man who admitted to transporting nearly 30 kilograms of cocaine through a Texas Border Patrol checkpoint was sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced May 28.

Federal prosecutors say Jesus Cedillo, 36, was stopped on October 28, 2024, near the Falfurrias checkpoint. A Border Patrol K-9 reportedly alerted to Cedillo’s vehicle, prompting agents to search the car. Inside the speaker boxes in the trunk, they allegedly discovered multiple bundles of cocaine totaling 28.6 kilograms.

Cedillo pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 126 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

He admitted that a former co-worker had recruited him to make the delivery to Houston for $6,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bird prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Border Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Although the source and destination of the drugs remain undisclosed, the bust adds to a growing pattern of drug couriers using everyday vehicles to ferry large narcotics loads through inland checkpoints, sometimes for relatively small compensation.

To read about last week’s biggest border busts, click here: Texas Takedown Weekly: Border’s Biggest Busts (May 23)