Gulfport, Miss. – Abraham Bautista-Rodriguez, 19, and Salvador Bautista-Rodriguez, 19, both citizens of Mexico, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to unlawful reentry by an alien after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, and Gregory K. Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.

The two men, who are brothers, will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden, on July 8, 2019.

Abraham Bautista-Rodriguez, who has a prior conviction for reentry after removal, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for unlawful reentry by an alien removed after conviction of a felony. Salvador Bautista-Rodriguez faces a maximum penalty of 2 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for illegal reentry by an alien. Each man also faces being removed from the United States following the completion of his sentence.

On January 28, 2019, an interdiction agent with the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 10 in Jackson County. The agent observed eight occupants of the vehicle which included the Bautista-Rodriguez brothers. Border Patrol Agents arrived on the scene shortly thereafter, and interviewed the occupants of the vehicle as to their citizenships, determining that none had proper documents and all were illegally present in the United States. Of the eight vehicle occupants (two drivers and six passengers), all were illegal aliens from Mexico. They were all arrested and transported to the Border Patrol Station in Gulfport.

A Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent joined Border Patrol Agents and determined that the 6 passengers were being smuggled within the United States. Further investigation revealed that both men are citizens of Mexico, and previously had been ordered removed from the United States.

U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Border Patrol, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, and the City of Gautier Police Department, and the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.