Posted: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 9:23 pm

BY MARK REAGAN The Brownsville Herald

A family facing charges relating to harboring undocumented immigrants and conspiring to bring them into the United States will have another month to prepare for trial.

San Juana Garcia-Rodriguez, 47, of Matamoros; her daughter, Patricia Garcia-Ramon, 20; and Garcia-Ramon’s spouse, Luciano Eleazar-Romero, 20, both of Brownsville, have pleaded not guilty to federal charges.

Brownsville police arrested the trio Nov. 24 at the Rose Garden Inn, and accused them of holding a 32-year-old woman, a 23-year-old man and a 2-year-old child against their will.

The three also face three counts of aggravated kidnapping, three counts of unlawful restraint, three counts of smuggling of persons and a count of trafficking a child with intent of forced labor or benefit in state court. Online Cameron County court records do not show a filed indictment.

Public defenders for the three asked U.S. District Judge Hilda Tagle for more time to continue discovery and prepare for trial. They also waived their right to a speedy trial.

According to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement search warrant application filed in federal court, Garcia-Rodriguez was a member of a human smuggling organization working in the Rio Grande Valley for approximately three years.

The court document also states that Garcia-Rodriguez used a cellphone to contact the undocumented immigrants’ families and request more money to facilitate further travel into the United States.

Garcia-Rodriguez, Garcia-Ramon and Eleazar-Romero were ruled as flight risks and are being held without bail.

Court grants delay for alleged kidnap trial - Brownsville Herald: Local News