BATON ROUGE - U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that GERSON GARCIA-VILLANEUVA, age 19, of Honduras, pled guilty for his role in transporting illegal aliens.
On August 21, 2018, U.S. Border Patrol Agents conducted a traffic stop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, of a van driven by GARCIA-VILLANEUVA. GARCIA-VILLANEUVA admitted that he, as is a citizen of Honduras, was knowingly present in the United States illegally. He further explained that he was paid to transport eight illegal aliens from various Latin American countries from Houston, Texas to New Orleans, Louisiana.
U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin stated, ““The enforcement of our border and immigration laws is a top priority for our office. This plea is yet another step in the fight against illegal immigration and those who enable it. I want to thank our prosecutors and the United States Border Patrol for their efforts in this important matter.”
“This case highlights the superlative work done by Border Patrol Agents, Homeland Security Investigations, and the US Attorney’s Office as we work together to enhance border security in the Gulf Coast Region by disrupting and destroying smuggling operations which cause irreparable harm to our nation, ” stated Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino, New Orleans Border Patrol Sector.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Fred Menner.