Latest news with #U.S.Code§1324
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Texas Takedown Weekly: Border's Biggest Busts
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. 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)
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP rep says she'll refer sanctuary city mayors for criminal prosecution
A Republican congresswoman said she is referring the Democratic sanctuary city mayors who testified before Congress on Wednesday to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said that the mayors who testified during a House Oversight Committee hearing on sanctuary cities were in violation of Title 8, U.S. Code § 1324, a federal law that makes it illegal to bring in and harbor unauthorized aliens. It also prohibits the unlawful employment of aliens. "I just referred the sanctuary city mayors to the Department of Justice for CRIMINAL investigations based on evidence from their own comments and policies, proving that they were breaking federal law," Luna wrote on X with a video accompanying her announcement. "Open borders ideologies hurt people on both sides. If you hold federal office and are breaking the law, you'll be criminally investigated by the DOJ." Anna Paulina Luna To Lead Task Force On Declassification Of Jfk Assassination Records, Epstein Client List Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu all defended their respective city's sanctuary policies at the fiery hearing. They defended their communities as welcoming and called on Congress to pass immigration reform. Read On The Fox News App Republican members of Congress hammered the mayors for their sanctuary city policies, accusing them of endangering Americans and threatening to prosecute local officials. Luna told the mayors that their policies were hurting citizens as well as migrants. Denver Mayor Grilled Over Area's Tren De Aragua Problem As Gop Lawmaker Says Policies To Blame "I do not think you guys are bad people, but I do think you are ideologically misled," Luna said. "Which is why, unfortunately, based on your responses, I'm going to be criminally referring you all to the Department of Justice for investigation," she said, holding up copies of the referrals. "As soon as I leave here, these will be going over to [Attorney General] Pam Bondi." A congressional criminal referral does not require the DOJ to initiate a prosecution and does not hold as much weight as a referral from an entire chamber. Republicans, the mayors said, were trying to paint their cities as overrun by criminal immigrants even as crime was falling. The mayors said a key to safety is creating cities where residents feel comfortable reporting crimes and working with police. Illegal immigration was a key plank of Trump's presidential campaign, and he has repeatedly pressed on the theme since coming to office, including a Tuesday night speech to Congress where he vowed to "complete the largest deportation operation in American history." Luna, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, also leads the House Oversight Committee's Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, a new task force focused on the declassification of federal secrets – including records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and other documents in the public interest. She has also been pressing the Justice Department for the release of classified records related to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: GOP rep says she'll refer sanctuary city mayors for criminal prosecution
