Houston Police Officer and Wife Sentenced to Federal Prison for Transporting Undocumented Aliens

In Del Rio, 52-year-old former Houston police officer Juan Carrillo and his 43-year-old wife Rosa Lidia Carrillo of Cypress, TX, were sentenced to 15 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for transporting undocumented aliens announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden and U.S. Border Patrol Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rodolfo Karisch. 

During sentencing yesterday afternoon, United States District Judge Alia Moses also ordered that each defendant pay a $1,000 fine.  Both defendants remain on bond pending notification of a self-surrender date and location by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to begin serving their prison terms. 

On January 28, 2016, both defendants pleaded guilty to one count of transporting undocumented aliens.  By pleading guilty, the Carrillos’ admitted that they were illegally transporting two undocumented aliens from Eagle Pass, TX, to Houston. 

According to court documents, on November 8, 2015, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Carrizo Springs station conducted an immigration inspection on a vehicle traveling on Highway 85 in Big Wells, TX.  The defendants were in the front seat and there were four passengers in the back seat.  Agents discovered that four of the occupants, including the defendants, were United States citizens.  Two occupants were determined to be illegally present in the United States.

Court documents also reflect that Rosa Carrillo had previously wired $1,500 to an unknown individual in order to have a family member smuggled into the United States.  The defendants, admittedly, had traveled that day to Eagle Pass to pick up the family member and his companion, another undocumented individual who was being harbored at the same location, and transport them to Houston.

“The sentencing of the Carrillos sends a clear message that individuals who engage in human smuggling will be held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, HSI San Antonio. “HSI will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners to bring human smugglers to justice.”

The case resulted from a joint investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Eagle Pass and the U.S. Border Patrol.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Watters and Todd Keagle.