Crystal City, Texas Councilman Marco Antonio Rodriguez arrested for transporting undocumented aliens by U.S. Border Patrol

By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016

Crystal City, Texas Councilman Marco Antonio Rodriguez was arrested on January 2, 2016 by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents for attempting to smuggle three undocumented aliens into the United States, according to a Criminal Complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division, in Del Rio, Texas.

The Criminal Complaint alleges that “Rodriguez was the driver of a white 2009 Chevy flatbed pickup truck with a ‘Canary’ company logo on it, bearing Oklahoma license plate: 2VL609 that was encountered by United States Border Patrol Agents (BPA) on Highway 85 in Big Wells, TX.  BPA approached the Chevy pickup truck as it pulled into a United States Post Office parking lot and approached it to conduct an  immigration inspection.  The driver of the vechicle was identified as Rodriguez and got out to speak with BPA briefly before getting back in the vehicle and attempting to abscond.  BPA were eventually able to apprehend Rodriguez and three passengers.  The three passengers were found to be present in the U.S. illegally and Rodriguez and the three passengers were taken to the USBP Station in Carrizo Springs, TX for further questioning.  HSI Special Agents repsonded to the USBP Station and interviewed two illegal alien passgengers who identified Rodriguez…as the individual that picked them up and transported them from the side of the road.  HSI Special Agents also interviewed Rodriguez, who waived his 5th Amendment constitutional rights as per Miranda, and verbally admitted to having been hired to pick up and transport the illegal aliens.  Rodriguez also stated he had picked up and transported illegal aliens on two separate other occasions, taking them to San Antonio, Texas and being paid $500 and $1,400 for those previous ventures.”

According to the Criminal Complaint, this was Rodriguez’s third trip for picking up and transporting undocumented aliens.  This fact will more than likely cause Rodriguez to receive a higher prison sentence at the time of his sentencing due to his prior two trips and the number of undocumented aliens he transported into the United States.

The Criminal Complaint, signed by HSI Special Agent Joshua Stevenson, states that Rodriguez “waived his 5th Amendment constitutional rights as per Miranda, and verbally admitted to having been hired to pick up and transport the illegal aliens.”

Rodriguez is represented by attorney Roy R. Barrera, Jr. of San Antonio, Texas.

All persons accused of criminal violations are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a Court at Law or they voluntarily plead guilty before a U.S. District Judge.

The case remains under investigation by HSI Special Agents.