BEAUMONT, Texas – A 25-year-old Mexican national illegally in the United States, has pleaded guilty to immigration violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.

            Joel Sanchez-Guzman pleaded guilty to transporting illegal aliens and illegally reentering the United States after having been deported.  The plea was entered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin. 

            According to information presented in court, on Feb. 16, 2019, law enforcement officers discovered Sanchez-Guzman transporting eight individuals he knew to be illegally in the United States.  Further investigation revealed Sanchez-Guzman had been paid to transport the illegal aliens through Texas to the northeastern United States.  They also determined that Sanchez-Guzman had transported illegal aliens in this manner on prior occasions.

Under the federal statute, Sanchez-Guzman faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing.  The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office

            This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI/ICE, the Nacogdoches Police Department and the Lufkin Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall L. Fluke.

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