A jury in Corpus Christi, Texas, has found Alberto Chavez Jr., a 28-year-old resident of Sullivan City, guilty on two counts of transporting illegal aliens within the United States. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei after a one-day trial and less than 45 minutes of jury deliberation.
The case against Chavez stemmed from an incident on November 2, 2024, when he arrived at the Border Patrol checkpoint in Falfurrias with two passengers. During the routine immigration inspection, Chavez claimed that they were his cousins traveling north for work. However, it was revealed during the trial that the passengers were not related to him but were citizens of Honduras illegally present in the country.
The court heard testimony from both passengers who described crossing the Rio Grande River about a month before being picked up by Chavez. They had been staying in stash houses until their journey to the checkpoint. Evidence presented showed that Chavez provided them with clothes to appear more "American" and coached them on how to respond during inspections. The men also testified that they informed Chavez of their illegal status.
"Our Corpus Christi office has secured yet another guilty verdict against a smuggler of illegal aliens," said Ganjei. "If people think they are going to lie or sneak their way past a Border Patrol checkpoint, they are setting themselves up for a prison stay. I thank the jury for their thoughtful consideration of the evidence in this case."
Despite attempts by the defense to portray Chavez as merely offering a ride, the jury rejected these claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales presided over the trial and scheduled sentencing for June 18. Chavez faces up to five years in prison and a potential $250,000 fine. After previously being released on bond, he was ordered into custody pending sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by Border Patrol agents, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Griffith and Zachary Bird prosecuting the case.