Human Smugglers sentenced in Mesa County

Updated: Jan 11, 2008 05:49 PM PST


BY CRYSTAL COSTA

It's a first in Mesa County. People caught smuggling humans from Mexico are successfully tried and sentenced.

Eugenio Baizabal Trujillo and Miguel Lugardo Peralata have been ordered to spend ninety days in jail and serve twenty years of unsupervised probation. They both plead guilty to one felony count of human smuggling.

The sentence came down Thursday in connection with their arrest on December 5th near Fruita. The men were caught on 1-70, with seventeen undocumented immigrants in their van.

The judge said both men are illegal immigrants, and they will be deported after serving their jail time. However, prosecutors did drop sixteen similar felony charges.

Deputy D.A. Trish Aahre said she hopes this serves as an example that this sort of crime will not be ignored. "Hopefully we're going to deter others from committing the same crime, hopefully we're going to detour these individuals who are already doing it, from reentering the country. In terms of the ultimate disposition we're seeking in state court, we're also hoping to work with the U.S. Attorney's office to enhance future federal prosecutions if they are to reenter the country illegally."

All seventeen passengers in the van have been deported. If either of these men are caught trying to re-enter the U.S, they will face up to twenty years in prison.

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