EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Two Austin men who allegedly drove to the border and engaged in migrant smuggling are being accused of causing serious injuries to two Mexican nationals under their care.
The indictment returned Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas charges Luis Resendes Zubieta and Jose Avila Rodriguez with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and placing their lives in jeopardy.
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The charges stem from an alleged March 29 attempt to drive unauthorized migrants from Eagle Pass, Texas, to Houston.
Resendes was driving a 2013 GMC Yukon with temporary Texas license plates heading north when he noticed a U.S. Border Patrol highway checkpoint ahead; he and Avila, his passenger, ordered two Mexican nationals in the back seat to bail out while the vehicle was in motion, according to a criminal complaint affidavit.
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