A Fort Worth woman has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for attempting to smuggle two minors from Mexico into the United States. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Sandra Perez, 36, pleaded guilty on November 19, 2024. Her sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña.
"Smuggling children is absolutely reprehensible," said Ganjei. "Who knows what awaited these children had the defendant managed to slip past authorities. Fortunately, law enforcement was able to unravel Perez’s false story and stop her smuggling scheme dead in its tracks."
The incident occurred on August 8, 2024, when Perez attempted to enter the United States driving an SUV with her three minor U.S. citizen children and two Mexican minors. She falsely claimed that the Mexican children were hers and presented Texas birth certificates and Social Security cards of her other children as proof.
After the Mexican children failed to answer questions from authorities, Perez admitted she intended to bring them into the country illegally and deliver them to their mother in Fort Worth for a payment of $5,000 per child.
Perez has been allowed to remain on bond until she voluntarily surrenders to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility yet to be determined.
The investigation was conducted by Customs and Border Protection, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case.