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October 7, 2015San Antonio, TX, United StatesHuman Smuggling/Trafficking

Southwest Texas man indicted for role in alleged alien smuggling scheme

SAN ANTONIO — A southwest Texas man was indicted Wednesday for his alleged role in an undocumented alien smuggling conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Western District of Texas.

This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol and the Frio County Sheriff’s Office.

The federal indictment charges Drew Christopher Potter, 33, of Watuga, Texas, with one count of conspiring to commit alien smuggling for financial gain and three substantive counts of transporting undocumented aliens.

“HSI is dedicated to working closely with its law enforcement partners in all arenas in pursuit of identifying, arresting and prosecuting individuals involved in human smuggling,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson, HSI San Antonio.

According to court documents, Potter conspired to transport undocumented aliens for private financial gain. On Sept. 18, Frio County Sheriff’s deputies, along with CBP, responded to a 911 call from someone who witnessed multiple subjects exiting a semi-tractor trailer parked at a local convenience store along Interstate 35 South. At the scene, authorities encountered the alleged driver, Potter, and 39 undocumented aliens including 28 adult males, 7 adult females, and four minors from Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico.

Potter remains in federal custody. Upon conviction of each count, he faces up to ten years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lathrop, Western District of Texas, is prosecuting this case.

An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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