A city councilman from the border city of Crystal City is facing human smuggling charges after federal agents allegedly found three illegal aliens in his truck.
Court records obtained by Breitbart Texas revealed that on January 2, U.S. Border Patrol agents pulled over a truck that had the logos of an oilfield company near Big Wells, Texas. The truck pulled into a U.S. Post Office and the driver, later identified as 35-year-old Marco Antonio Rodriguez, got out of the vehicle to briefly speak with agents.
According to the criminal complaint filed by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Rodriguez tried to flee but agents were able to catch up with him and arrest the people inside the vehicle.
After his arrest, agents took Rodriguez to the Carrizo Springs station for an interview where the man told agents about his involvement in human smuggling. Rodriguez said he had transported illegal aliens twice before and had been paid $500 and $1400 on those trips.
The Cristal City website lists Rodriguez as one of its councilmen. City officials did not respond to requests for comment.
In his personal Facebook page, he claims to have served in the U.S. Army and to be an oilfield worker.
Rodriguez asked for a court appointed attorney and he is set to go before a federal judge later this week for a preliminary and detention hearing.
Crystal City is 50 miles East of the Mexican border city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila. As Breitbart Texas previously reported, Piedras Negras has been the scene of a new wave of violence at the hands of Los Zetas. The Mexican drug cartel has been linked to various executions and shootouts and most recently the group has been linked to a rash of beheadings that have terrified the small border community.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas you can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.