A Brownsville man, Juan Andres Vasquez, has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for unlawfully transporting an illegal alien. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei following a trial where a federal jury found Vasquez guilty after deliberating for approximately 40 minutes on November 6, 2024.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales also imposed three years of supervised release following the prison term. During the sentencing hearing, additional evidence was presented highlighting Vasquez's status as a lifetime sex offender with a criminal history that includes assault.
The incident occurred on August 2, 2024, when Vasquez drove to the Javier Vega Jr. Border Patrol checkpoint with two individuals. An immigration inspection revealed that the front-seat passenger was illegally present in the United States.
At trial, Vasquez claimed he was asked for a ride by the illegal alien. However, testimony from the illegal alien contradicted this claim, stating that Vasquez instructed him to hide his Mexican identification card and dropped him off at a location where Vasquez awaited him.
Vasquez will remain in custody until he is transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility at an undetermined date.
The investigation was conducted by Border Patrol agents and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liesel Roscher and Ashley A. Pruitt.