A federal judge here has jacked up the punishment for a Mexican national accused of smuggling illegal immigrants into the U.S., because an illegal died due to the man’s negligence, 1200 WOAI news reports.
Rodolfo Barron-Arzola will serve more than 12 years in prison on alien smuggling charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Bennett said Barron-Arzola instructed the drivers of SUV’s smuggling illegals into the country to speed up to evade the Border Patrol, and even to crash their vehicles, because it would provide the illegals packed inside with the chance to run into the brush.
During one of these smuggling operations, prosecutors say vehicle overturned and the driver, Gerardo Cruz-Nil, died.
In addition to the 12 years in prison, the judge ordered Barron-Arzola to pay nearly $20,000 to pay for Cruz-Nil’s hospital treatment, even to pay the airflight ambulance which took him from the crash scene near Eagle Pass to San Antonio’s University Hospital for treatment.
http://radio.woai.com
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