Jury Convicts LPR of Conspiring to Transport Illegal Alien

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28-year-old legal permanent resident alien who resided in Houston has been convicted of conspiring to and transporting an illegal alien within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

A federal jury sitting in Corpus Christi convicted Arturo Javier Garcia-Perez following two days of trial and less than an hour of deliberation.

A Robstown police officer had pulled over a black 2007 Chevy pickup truck in the early morning hours of Jan. 27, 2019, on Highway 77 near Terrie Shamsie Boulevard for a faulty license plate light and obstructed view. 

Garcia-Perez was the driver. While being questioned, Garcia-Perez began to be  evasive.

There were three others in the vehicle who were also questioned. The stories conflicted. Border Patrol was called to assist and ultimately determined that one of the occupants was a citizen of Honduras, illegally present in the United States.

The jury heard Garcia-Perez admitted to agents that he had dropped off his co-defendants and the illegal alien south of the Falfurrias border patrol checkpoint and picked them up north of the checkpoint.

Garcia-Perez attempted to convince the jury that he didn’t know the status of the alien. They did not believe his claims and found him guilty as charged.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for July 24, 2019. At that time, Garcia-Perez faces up to 10 years for the conspiracy and five years for transportation of an illegal alien. He could also be imposed up to $250,000 in fines and could lose his status as an LPR.

Previously released on bond, Garcia-Perez was taken into custody following the verdict today where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Border Patrol and the Robstown Police Department conducted the joint investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Supplee and Michael Hess are prosecuting the case.