Former Alamo man pleads guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens


Also helped them obtain New Mexico driver's licenses

Alamogordo Daily News
Daily News
Report

Posted: 01/12/2012 10:12:49 PM MST



LAS CRUCES -- Mohamed Farooq Husain, 58, formerly of Alamogordo, entered a guilty plea Tuesday in a Las Cruces federal court to charges of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens within the United States.

At the time Husain committed the offense, he was a resident of Alamogordo. Husain was released under pretrial supervision and other conditions of release following his arrest July 27.

Husain faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. He remains on
conditions of release pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said Husain was arrested in Las Cruces based on an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection establishing that Husain arranged for an illegal alien from Pakistan to travel from New York to New Mexico for the purpose of obtaining a driver's license.

Husain entered a guilty plea to charges he conspired with others to
unlawfully transport undocumented aliens and helped them obtain New Mexico driver's licenses between September 2010 and July 2011.

In entering his guilty plea, Gonzales said Husain admitted to facilitating a process that enabled illegal aliens get New Mexico state driver's licenses. He admitted to arranging for illegal aliens to travel to Albuquerque and enter month-to-month leases in an Albuquerque apartment complex. He then arranged for the aliens to take the driver's license tests at a driving school.
Gonzales said Husain acknowledged using the Internet to make appointments for the undocumented aliens to apply for driver's licences at various offices of the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Department, and driving them to the MVD offices for their appointments.


If the MVD appointment was at a Las Cruces MVD office, Husain arranged for the aliens to travel back to their homes by way of El Paso International Airport so as to avoid U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints.

After the permanent driver's licenses for the undocumented aliens were mailed to the Albuquerque apartments, Husain picked up the driver's licenses and mailed them to the aliens.

Husain admitted that, from March 2011 through July 2011, he assisted one or two undocumented aliens obtain New Mexico driver's licenses on a monthly basis.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Pleters.
Former Alamo man pleads guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens - Alamogordo Daily News