Illegal Alien Sentenced for Cash Smuggling on I-10

posted by: Scott Lawrence
May 9, 2008 - 6:49PM

NEWS RELEASE FROM UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

BEAUMONT TX - United States Attorney Rebecca A. Gregory announced that a 31-year-old illegal alien has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for smuggling cash in the Eastern District of Texas.

ALICIO YANES a/k/a ABRAN TORRES, pleaded guilty to Bulk Cash Smuggling and for being a Deported Alien Found in the United States on January 28, 2008 and was sentenced today by United States District Judge Marcia A. Crone. A criminal forfeiture of the currency seized during the traffic stop was also ordered by Judge Crone.

According to information presented in court, on June 13, 2007, Yanes was stopped by officers with the Orange Police Department on Interstate 10 for a routine traffic stop. Yanes, who was operating a 2000 Mercedes SUV bearing Florida license plates, told officers that he was "Abran Torres," a United States citizen. The Officers asked for and received verbal consent from Yanes to search the Mercedes, which lead to the discovery of $69,035.00 of United States currency. The currency, which was bundled and packaged in 1,000 dollar and 10,000 dollar increments, was discovered in a hidden compartment within the Mercedes. Yanes, who could not account for the currency, was taken into custody.

Yanes subsequently admitted to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents that he was transporting the currency to Guerrero, Mexico, and that he did not intend to declare the currency at the border. Upon further investigation, ICE Agents discovered Yanes' true identity, and that Yanes was a native and citizen of Mexico who had previously been deported and removed from the United States after being convicted of Aggravated Assault in Palm Beach County, Florida, on August 25, 1997.

This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Orange Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Ross.

http://www.kfdm.com/news/illegal_25963_ ... _news.html