Three unauthorized immigrants taken into federal custody following a wreck that left one person dead earlier this month in Bowie County gave statements Tuesday concerning their trip to the U.S. from Latin America.
Two Guatemalan girls, 17 and 18, and a 22-year-old El Salvadoran man sat with an interpreter one-by-one to prepare and sign affidavits now filed under seal in Francisco Armando Munguia-Aleman's criminal case. Munguia-Aleman was driving a Toyota Sequoia with eight passengers when it rolled at 4:15 a.m on May 8, travelling east on Interstate 30 near New Boston, Texas.
As a result of the incident, a 41-year-old man died, several people were treated at area hospitals, and a 4-year-old girl was turned over to Child Protective Services. Three would-be immigrants who inked their signatures on material-witness affidavits Tuesday are being transferred from the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Deportation is likely for all three.
Later Tuesday afternoon, Munguia-Aleman, 52, entered a guilty plea to transporting illegal aliens with the help of Texarkana lawyer John Pickett at a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline Craven in the fourth-floor courtroom of Texarkana's downtown federal building, where the material witnesses had earlier sat with Texarkana lawyers John Stroud, Jeff Harrelson and Craig Henry and the interpreter to hammer out their affidavits.
Munguia-Aleman was tasked with driving the unauthorized immigrants from Houston to the Texarkana area, according to a factual basis for his plea filed Tuesday. How the immigrants crossed the U.S. border and traveled to Houston is not addressed in Munguia-Aleman's public court documents.
"Someone else was to transport them, together with me, accross the United States," the factual basis states. "I did not have a personal or familial relationship with any of the occupants and I did not have a direct financial arrangement with them."
Craven explained to Munguia-Aleman that the punishment range for transporting illegal aliens is up to five years in federal prison, a fine up to $250,000, or both. However, if the criminal violation results in a death, the punishment range includes the possibility of a death sentence, life in prison or any term of years, Craven said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Locker said the government's agreement with Munguia-Aleman includes a 50-month federal prison sentence, which amounts to a little more than four years. Munguia-Aleman will return to court in several months for formal sentencing before U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder III. He remains in the custody of U.S. Marshals.