Thread: Men sentenced for smuggling immigrants aboard yachts

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hea ... 90463.html

Dec. 9, 2006, 1:06AM
Men sentenced for smuggling immigrants aboard yachts

BROWNSVILLE — Three people convicted of helping smuggle illegal immigrants past federal checkpoints aboard a luxury boat have been sentenced to prison.

Luis Alberto Gutierrez-Zapien, Robert Milton Moore and Baldemar Valdez Jr. are among five people accused in the scheme. Prosecutors say they used Breakaway Cruises, a South Padre Island charter boat company, to help ferry illegal immigrants from Port Isabel to Corpus Christi between July 1, 2005, and May 21, 2006.

Gutierrez-Zapien, the alleged middleman, was sentenced to six months in prison on conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal immigrants within the United States.

Moore, who managed Breakaway Cruises, was sentenced to two years in federal prison on charges of transporting illegal immigrants within the United States and criminal forfeiture.

Valdez, who was a deck hand for Breakaway Cruises, was sentenced to four months in federal prison on one count of transporting illegal immigrants within the United States.

The three were sentenced Thursday, a day after two others accused in the case also received prison sentences.

Breakaway Cruises owner Mack Daniel Bryant received a two year sentence and ship captain Norman Michael Walker was ordered to serve one year in federal prison.

They should give them all 10 years in prison & send them to Mexico when released.

Wait until the Megaport is open in Mexico. Our coast guard will have a bundle of laughs.

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/ts_com ... 5_0_10_0_C

Three more sentenced to prison in smuggling scheme
Men transported immigrants from Port Isabel to Corpus Christi

By JOSÉ BORJÓN
The Brownsville Herald

December 9, 2006 — Three more people on Thursday were ordered to serve time in prison for smuggling undocumented immigrants on a luxury boat.

U.S. District Judge Hilda Tagle sentenced Luis Alberto Gutierrez-Zapien, Robert Milton Moore and Baldemar Valdez Jr. for their roles in smuggling the immigrants from Port Isabel to Corpus Christi.

Two others in the case involving Breakaway Cruises, a charter boat company based on South Padre Island, were also given prison sentences on Wednesday.

All five were accused of transporting or helping to transport undocumented immigrants between July 1, 2005, to May 21, from Port Isabel to Corpus Christi.

Moore, manager of Breakaway Cruises, was sentenced to two years in federal prison on one count of transporting certain aliens within the United States and one count of criminal forfeiture, according to federal court documents.

In Moore’s case, federal prosecutors dropped one count on conspiracy to transport and harbor certain aliens within the Untied States and one count on transporting certain aliens within the United States, according to court documents.

After being released from prison he will serve two years of probation, according to court documents.

Gutierrez-Zapien, who prosecutors say was the middle man, was sentenced to six months in prison on one count of conspiracy to transport and harbor certain aliens within the United States.

After being released, he will have serve two years of probation. As part of a plea agreement, a second charge of transporting certain aliens within the United States was dismissed, according to federal court documents.

Valdez, a deck hand for Breakaway Cruises, was sentenced to four months in federal prison on one count of transporting certain aliens within the United States. Tagle gave Valdez credit for time served.

Valdez will also have to serve 2½ years probation.

On Wednesday, Breakaway Cruises owner Mack Daniel Bryant was sentenced to 2½ years in federal prison, and his captain, Norman Michael Walker, was ordered to serve one year in federal prison.

So now that Bryant is in jail, who's running the buissness, did he call in a realtive in the Bryant family, and if he did, does that mean the new owners will move to southern PI