CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 43-year-old Florida man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for transporting undocumented aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Joan Rincon pleaded guilty July 27.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Rincon to serve 25 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how Rincon had transported aliens in a grain hauler, including an unaccompanied minor. In handing down the sentence, the court remarked on the severity of the conduct and noted that the 15 aliens who had been transported in the grain hauler “deserved better.”
On May 7, Rincon approached the primary inspection lane at the U.S. Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Sarita. A K-9 soon alerted to the grain hauler he was driving.
Upon further inspection, authorities discovered 15 undocumented aliens inside the hauler as well as an additional five in the cabin. One individual described how hot it was inside the grain hauler. She claimed they were not allowed to take water, were all sweating profusely and were afraid they would pass out due to the heat.
Rincon was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
BP and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Foster prosecuted the case.