brownsvilleherald.com
By LAURA B. MARTINEZ/The Brownsville Herald
December 29, 2011 9:01 PM

A 29-year-old Houston woman remains in federal custody on charges she attempted to smuggle an undocumented young girl into the United States via Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville.

Authorities stated that Roberta Ausencio presented a false birth certificate to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers as she tried to cross the bridge Tuesday with a 13-year-old child.

She also said the child was her daughter, court records show.

Ausencio appeared Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Ronald G. Morgan for her initial appearance. She was charged with bringing an illegal alien into the United States for commercial or private financial gain, according to court documents. She was denied bail and is scheduled to appear in court again today.

Court documents state that Ausencio and the child were sent to a secondary inspection at the bridge, where she then admitted to the officers that the girl was a Mexican national. According to court documents, Ausencio also stated she was to be paid $1,500 to bring the girl into the U.S.

Ausencio was taken into custody. The child was to be reunited with her family.

Also on Tuesday, 23-year-old Carlos Filiberto Hernandez Sanchez, also known as Carlos Filiberto Quintero, of Brownsville, was taken into custody after he attempted to smuggle nearly 16 pounds of cocaine across the Gateway International Bridge, according to court records.

Hernandez Sanchez appeared Tuesday before Morgan on a charge of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute approximately 7.23 kilograms of cocaine. Bail was denied and Hernandez Sanchez is scheduled to appear in court again today.

According to court documents, Hernandez Sanchez is accused of transporting the cocaine, which was hidden behind the dash area of a 2001 Chevrolet Impala.

A narcotics detector dog alerted CBP officers of possible drugs in the vehicle. Hernandez Sanchez stated there was nothing inside the Impala, documents state. He was sent to a secondary inspection, where CBP officers found six packages of cocaine.

Hernandez Sanchez was turned over to federal authorities for further investigation.

Authorities reported the cocaine has an estimated street value of more than $500,000.

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