Three former U.S. Army soldiers, previously stationed at Fort Hood, were sentenced in federal court for their roles in a 2024 alien smuggling operation that ended in a dangerous high-speed chase with U.S. Border Patrol agents in West Texas.
Enrique Jauregui, 26, received a 33-month prison sentence for aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain. Co-defendants Angel Palma, 21, and Emilio Mendoza Lopez, 22, were each sentenced in May to 24 months in prison. All three will also serve three years of supervised release. Jauregui was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
According to court documents, Jauregui organized the smuggling event and recruited Palma and Mendoza Lopez to pick up individuals in Presidio. On November 27, 2024, the soldiers drove from Fort Hood—known at the time as Fort Cavazos—to Presidio, where they picked up three illegal aliens.
The operation unraveled when the group was spotted by Border Patrol agents and fled, initiating a high-speed pursuit. During the chase, the vehicle struck a marked Border Patrol unit with an agent inside, causing injuries. Palma, Mendoza Lopez, and the passengers fled the scene on foot. All were apprehended, with Palma later located and arrested at a hotel in Odessa.
All three defendants pleaded guilty earlier this year. U.S. District Judge David Counts presided over sentencing.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Central Texas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Cayton prosecuted the case.
