Special to the 830 Times
BRACKETTVILLE – An 18-year-old man has been ordered to serve 10 years in prison after he was found guilty of smuggling undocumented immigrants and fleeing from law enforcement officers, District Attorney Suzanne West said.
“On Wednesday, a Kinney County jury delivered a guilty verdict in the case of State of Texas versus Brian Carrillo Ramirez, which was presented by the 63rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office Border Prosecution Unit Supervising Attorney Amanda Poole,” West announced in a press statement.
According to the statement, 63rd Judicial District Judge Roland Andrade sentenced Ramirez to 10 years confinement. Immediately following sentencing, Ramirez was taken into custody to begin his sentence.
“Ramirez, who is from the Houston area, stood accused of violating Texas law by transporting individuals by motor vehicle with intent to conceal them from law enforcement and evading arrest with a motor vehicle. The offenses are second- and third-degree felonies, respectively,” West said.
The statement notes the crime was committed on Sept. 7, 2022.
“On that day, Kinney County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Daniel Molinar and Elizabeth Aguirre attempted to stop a Cadillac SUV traveling on Ranch Road 334 at approximately 7:30 a.m. When Molinar and Aguirre tried to stop the vehicle, it took off at a high rate of speed and traveled about three miles before stopping abruptly.
“In addition to Ramirez, who was driving, the vehicle was carrying two undocumented aliens, identified as Elbia Yulisa Machado, a Honduran national, and Marieli Araceli Gutierrez Ruiz, a Mexican national, who were both found lying down in the cargo area of the vehicle. Ramirez bailed out of the vehicle, but was quickly apprehended by a U.S. Border Patrol agent who was assisting at the scene. Two unknown men also bailed out of the vehicle and fled into the brush, but were not apprehended,” the statement reads.
After the evidence in the case was presented to the Kinney County jury, Poole spoke to the jury, emphasizing the state presented everything they needed to for the jury to find Ramirez guilty, including a video of the chase where they were practically “in the lap” of Molinar as he pursued the fleeing vehicle.
The jury deliberated less than 30 minutes before returning with a unanimous verdict of guilty. Andrade thanked jurors for their service and immediately proceeded to the punishment phase of the trial.
Poole was the lead prosecutor and was assisted by West, border prosecution unit attorneys Tabytha “Toby” Kuykendahl and Hilary Showers and by Assistant District Attorney Eric Bayne, border prosecution unit supervisor. Border prosecution unit investigator Tom Wylie was the lead investigator on the case.
“Since the inception of Operation Lone Star and the changes in border security, thousands of smuggling of persons cases have worked their way through this rural district, but this is the first jury trial as of yet. There are thousands still to come,” West said.
The statement notes the 63rd Judicial District Attorney’s Border Prosecution Unit, supported by funding for Border Prosecution Unit grants from Gov. Greg Abbott’s Border Safety Programs, is a collaborative initiative of district attorney’s offices that are dedicated to prosecuting crimes with a nexus to the U.S.-Mexico border. The three-county district’s cases with border nexus include thousands of human smuggling and evading arrest cases, as well as cases of child pornography and sexual abuse, drug offenses, serious property crimes, assaults and homicides.
“The district attorney’s message is one of appreciation to the jury for their thoughtful deliberations and one of hope that this verdict will convey statewide to all persons who would attempt to conceal and transport lawbreakers that smuggling persons and evading law enforcement in Kinney County, Texas, and the rest of the 63rd Judicial District, is off limits.
“The district attorney also extends thanks to the Kinney County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Border Patrol for their outstanding efforts to bring Ramirez to justice. Seeing that justice is served is truly a team effort, and we appreciate our teammates every day as we protect our communities,” the statement reads.
