U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced the conviction of Deibi Ramos, a 46-year-old man, for unlawfully transporting undocumented aliens. Following a one-day trial, a federal jury deliberated for 15 minutes before reaching a verdict on November 14, 2023.
Ramos was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David S. Morales to 18 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. The court expressed concern over the number of aliens and the manner of transportation involved in the case.
The incident occurred on April 19, 2023, when Ramos drove a tractor-trailer to the Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita. During inspection, a K-9 alerted authorities to the sleeper area of the vehicle, leading to the discovery of 10 illegal aliens concealed beneath the bed compartment and in the cabinets of the tractor.
Evidence presented at the trial included phone calls on Ramos’ phone between him and one of the illegal aliens, as well as a voice message from a smuggling coordinator containing pickup and drop-off instructions.
Despite defense attempts to argue against Ramos’ knowledge being proven beyond a reasonable doubt, the jury found him guilty as charged.
Ramos has been allowed to remain on bond pending his voluntary surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, which will be determined in the near future. The investigation was conducted by Customs and Border Protection.
