Jury convicts South Texan for transporting people in the tractor’s cab

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas | Press Release

A 26-year-old Edinburg man has been convicted of unlawfully transporting an undocumented person, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

The jury deliberated for an hour and a half following a less than two-day trial before finding Lisandro Vasquez-Gomez guilty.

On Aug. 29, 2024, Vasquez-Gomez drove to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint where he told authorities he was hauling an empty trailer and was heading to Houston. He denied having any passengers in his vehicle. However, a K-9 alerted to the cab of the tractor where law enforcement located five people illegally present in the United States hidden behind the driver.

At trial, the jury heard from some of those being transported who explained that smugglers had driven them to a remote area where a tractor-trailer was waiting. They did not see the driver, but the vehicle began moving shortly after they were concealed in the sleeper berth.

The defense attempted to convince the jury that authorities failed to fully investigate the smuggling attempt and that Vasquez-Gomez was simply a decoy smuggling load. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged on all three counts.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for April 8, at which time Vasquez-Gomez faces up to five years in federal prison.

He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Overman, Ashley A. Pruitt and Liesel Roscher prosecuted the case.