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3w ago

Ex-Fort Hood Soldiers Sentenced to Prison for Human Smuggling Operation

Their sentences come after guilty pleas in a cross-border smuggling operation that escalated into a high-speed chase injuring a Border Patrol agent.

Jose Carrillo, with the Army Corps of Engineers, removes the sign at Fort Cavazos in preparation for the Army post name change back to Fort Hood. Three former soldiers who were stationed at Fort Hood have received prison sentences for smuggling unauthorized immigrants into the U.S., according to federal officials.
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Overview

  • Enrique Jauregui, 26, received a 33-month federal prison term and was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine for organizing the plot and recruiting co-conspirators.
  • Angel Palma, 21, and Emilio Mendoza Lopez, 22, each drew 24-month sentences for driving migrants under Jauregui’s direction.
  • All three defendants pleaded guilty in early 2025 and face three years of supervised release after completing their prison terms.
  • On Nov. 27, 2024, the soldiers picked up one Mexican and two Guatemalan nationals near Presidio, Texas, before leading agents on a high-speed chase that injured a Border Patrol officer.
  • The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol and the Army Criminal Investigation Division as part of the Justice Department’s Operation Take Back America initiative.