Dallas federal grand jury indicts man on conspiracy to transport illegal aliens

DALLAS – A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment Wednesday that charges one count each of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, transporting illegal aliens, and illegal re-entry after deportation.

This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

This indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

Ignacio Garcia, 32, has been in custody since his arrest June 11.

The indictment alleges that on June 11, Garcia conspired to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States for his personal profit. The indictment further alleges that Garcia, an illegal alien who had been previously deported in March 2011, was unlawfully present in the U.S., which is a felony. Public documents, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, note that Garcia was convicted of transporting illegal aliens and sentenced in November 2010 to 13 months imprisonment, to be followed by deportation.

A federal indictment is an accusation by a grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. Upon conviction, however, the conspiracy count and the substantive transportation of illegal aliens count each carry a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The illegal reentry count, as charged, carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl, Northern District of Texas, is prosecuting this case.