NEWS RELEASE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
Julia C. Dudley Acting United States Attorney Brian McGinn Public Affairs Specialist |
BB&T Building 310 1st Street, S.W., Room 906 Roanoke, Virginia 24011 (540) 857-2974 FAX (540) 857-2179 |
May 21, 2008
GUATEMALAN NATIONAL PLEADS GUILTY TO TRANSPORTING ILLEGAL ALIENS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES
Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley announced today that Pedro Antonio Antonio Mateo, age 24, a citizen of Guatemala in the United States illegally and residing in Los Angeles, California, pled guilty in United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke to charges related to the transportation of illegal aliens within the United States.
“The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to use all possible resources to prosecute individuals who engage in the practice of transporting illegal aliens within our borders,” Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley said today. “This practice circumvents our immigration laws and has the potential to allow dangerous individuals to travel, undetected, throughout our country.”
Mateo pled guilty to one count of transporting and moving illegal aliens within the United States by means of transportation for the purpose of financial gain. According to the indictment, Mateo showed a reckless disregard of the fact that certain aliens he was transporting, specifically seven adults males, had entered the United States illegally.
The investigation of the case began on April 11, 2008 when a Virginia State Trooper conducted a traffic stop of a GMC suburban along Interstate 81 north in Botetourt County. When the Trooper discovered a group of people inside the vehicle, agents from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement were called to investigate the matter.
According to the plea agreement and evidence presented at today’s hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Jennie L. M. Waering, Mateo admitted that he had been paid an undisclosed amount of money to transport a total of 11 passengers, including three juveniles, from Phoenix, Arizona to points along the east coast of the United States. None of the passengers were heading to locations in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Mateo conceded that the passengers had very little luggage and were not allowed to exit the vehicle at any time, even to use the restroom. Instead, the passengers were instructed to use gallon jugs for their restroom needs. At the time of the traffic stop, law enforcement officials recovered numerous gallon jugs that contained yellow liquid.
In addition, as part of the plea agreement, seven adult male passengers of the SUV, who are currently being held as material witnesses, will be released to the custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and returned to their native countries.
The maximum penalty faced by Mateo is 10 years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for August 4, 2008 at 11 a.m. in United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke.
The investigation of the case was conducted by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Virginia State Police for the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Virginia. Assistant United States Attorney Jennie L. M. Waering is prosecuting the case.