Illegal alien convicted of ramming Border Patrol agents with truck (update)
Fri, 2013-03-29 07:27 AM
By: Mark Rockwell
government security news
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A Mexican man living in southern Texas pleaded guilty to charges of using a pickup truck to assault U.S. Border Patrol agents as the man tried to evade capture for smuggling illegal aliens.
Jose Alberto Izquierdo-Gonzalez, 26, an undocumented Mexican alien living in Laredo, TX, entered the guilty plea in a federal court in the southern district of Texas on March 28. He faces a possible 30 year prison term on assault with a dangerous weapon and smuggling charges at sentencing, said the U.S. attorney’s office in south Texas.
According to court records and testimony, Izquierdo was seen loading persons onto his Ford F-250 truck on January 8, 2013, near the Rancho Viejo Subdivision in Laredo. Agents saw the truck speed away from the riverbanks after Border Patrol vehicles approached. After a short pursuit through a residential area -- during which the truck traveled on residential sidewalks and knocked down a stop sign -- Izquierdo eventually lost control and came to a stop facing the agents’ vehicles.
According to court records, with people still in the bed of the Ford F-150 pickup truck, Izquierdo rammed the Border Patrol vehicles, injuring one of the agents. He then sped away until he lost control again and crashed into a nearby ditch. The people in the truck bed managed to stay in the truck but were treated for injuries. Izquierdo was apprehended almost immediately after he bailed out his truck, leaving his passengers behind. Two of passengers were identified as aliens illegally in the U.S. who said they had paid smugglers to get a ride from Izquierdo.
According to court records, Izquierdo said he didn’t know there were people in the truck bed and claimed he had just picked up his girlfriend and one other person and was giving them a ride.
Izquierdo remains in custody pending his sentencing hearing that has yet to be scheduled, said the office. At that time, he faces up to 20 years for using a dangerous weapon -- the Ford F-250 in this case -- to assault a federal officer. He also faces a maximum 10-year sentence on alien smuggling charges. Along with the prison time, both crimes also carry up to a possible $250,000 fine, it said.
Illegal alien convicted of ramming Border Patrol agents with truck | Government Security News
Two-Time Alien Smuggler Who Assaulted Border Patrol Agent Sentenced to 98 Months
September 5, 2013
Reported by FBI
LAREDO, TX—Jose Alberto Izquierdo-Gonzalez, 28, an undocumented Mexican alien who had been living in Laredo, has been ordered to federal prison for assaulting Border Patrol agents and transporting aliens, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Izquierdo-Gonzalez entered a plea of guilty March 28, 2013. Today, Senior United States District Judge George P Kazen sentenced him to a term of 98 months in federal prison. In handing down the sentence, Judge Kazen took note of the defendant’s prior convictions for alien transporting in 2009, entering illegally in the same year, as well as damages to a Border Patrol (BP) unit he rammed while trying to elude apprehension.
When asked why he had behaved so recklessly, Izquierdo-Gonzalez simply stated that he had gotten scared and panicked because he did not want to go to jail. Judge Kazen countered by reminding him that he had assaulted BP agents in 2008 and stated to the defendant that he “must have a bad reaction to these arrests…some people are just like that.” He then told Izquierdo-Gonzalez that he now takes “the big prize” by “smashing vehicles…having persons flopping around in the back of the truck” and hitting agents. According to court records and testimony presented at this morning’s hearing, BP agents saw Izquierdo-Gonzalez loading persons onto his Ford F-250 truck on January 8, 2013, near the Rancho Viejo Subdivision in Laredo. Upon seeing the agents, Izquierdo-Gonzalez sped away from the riverbanks with aliens in the cab and some in the bed of the truck.
One alien who hung onto the truck’s rear bumper was dragged for some distance. After a short pursuit through a residential area involving the truck traveling on residential sidewalks and knocking down a stop sign, he eventually lost control and stopped, facing the agents’ vehicles. With persons still in the bed of the pickup truck, Izquierdo rammed the BP vehicles, injuring one of the agents. He then sped away until he lost control again and crashed into a nearby ditch.
Miraculously, the persons in the bed managed to remain in the truck but were treated for injuries at a local hospital. Izquierdo-Gonzalez was apprehended almost immediately by the agents after abandoning his truck and the passengers. Two of the passengers were identified as aliens illegally in the United States who said they had paid smugglers to get a ride from Izquierdo-Gonzalez. Izquierdo-Gonzalez maintained not knowing there were persons in the bed of his truck, claiming he was giving a ride to his girlfriend, an undocumented alien who had just crossed from Mexico, and one other person whom he had just picked up.
The matter was investigated by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of BP, Laredo Police Department, and the Webb County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case.
Reported by: FBI
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