Former Ft. Hood US Army soldier sentenced to 12 months in federal prison for alien smuggling

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A former active-duty U.S. Army soldier was sentenced Thursday to one year in federal prison for his role in an alien smuggling scheme.

The U.S. Attorney, Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas, announced the sentence.  This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol.

Christopher David Wix, 21, a former active-duty U.S. Army soldier based at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, pleaded guilty Oct. 30, 2014 to conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens.

On July 9, U.S. District Judge Hilda Tagle ordered Wix to 12 months plus one day in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, additional evidence was presented that Wix attempted to use his military identification to facilitate his passing through the immigration checkpoint. In handing down the sentences, Judge Tagle noted Wix’s youthful age and his relatively low rank within the smuggling conspiracy compared to the other defendants as factors for imposing the sentence.

Wix was charged along with Eric Alexander Rodriguez, 20, of Odem, Texas, Brandon Troy Robbins, 20, from San Antonio, both also former soldiers based at Ft. Hood; and Arnoldo Gracia, 45, of Harlingen, in a seven-count indictment with smuggling illegal aliens through the immigration checkpoint located at Sarita, Texas. Rodriguez, Robbins and Gracia have also entered guilty pleas; they are scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 4.

According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2014, Rodriguez arrived at the immigration checkpoint in Sarita driving a truck that was registered to Gracia.  During the inspection, a CBP officer looked in the truck’s rear floorboard and seat areas and observed a military jacket, a bed sheet and other clothing covering the area.  Upon further inspection, two illegal aliens were discovered hiding under the clothing.

During the course of the investigation, HSI discovered two earlier incidents in 2014 involving U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Ft. Hood that occurred at the Sarita checkpoint.  HSI determined that on April 13, 2014, Robbins had also arrived at the same immigration checkpoint and stated he was soldier going to Fort Hood.  In a routine check of his vehicle, CBP discovered two illegal aliens hiding under a blanket. 

HSI special agents also learned that on June 21, 2014, Wix had arrived at the same Sarita checkpoint driving a car registered to Rodriguez and presented his military identification.  CBP officers conducted a routine check of the vehicle and discovered two illegal aliens hiding under his military gear.  Further investigation revealed Gracia as the person supplying the aliens to Wix and the others.

Wix was permitted to remain on bond and surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U. S. Attorney Oscar Ponce, Southern District of Texas, is prosecuting this case.