LAREDO, Texas – A 49-year-old Desoto man has entered a guilty plea to alien smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Dedrick Lindell Coleman pleaded guilty to smuggling 95 non-U.S. citizens in a trailer.
As part of his plea, Coleman admitted that on Jan. 14, he approached the Interstate Highway 35 Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint located on mile marker 29 while driving a tractor trailer. A K-9 unit alerted authorities to the presence of concealed humans and referred him to secondary inspection.
There, authorities found a total of 95 non-U.S. citizens hidden in the trailer. All were determined to be in the United States illegally. At the time of his arrest, authorities also discovered a pistol in Coleman’s possession.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing July 7. At that time, Cruz faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Coleman has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Isaac is prosecuting the case.