Guardsman jailed for smuggling immigrants

[unhappycamper]

Guardsman jailed for smuggling immigrants
The Associate Press
Posted : Tuesday Feb 19, 2008 20:43:31 EST

LAREDO, Texas (AP) — A Texas National Guardsman and another man have been sentenced to at least three years in federal prison for helping smuggle illegal immigrants through a Border Patrol checkpoint in South Texas.

Clarence Hodge Jr., 36, of Fort Worth, Texas, a sergeant in the National Guard, and Jerry Zuniga, 29, of Laredo, Texas, pleaded guilty in August to charges of conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants.

Hodge, appearing Friday in Laredo before U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen, tearfully apologized, saying his actions embarrassed his family and the military. Kazen then sentenced him to 38 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He also must perform 120 hours of community service. The sentence is final since Hodge waived all appeals. He could have received up to 10 years in prison.

Zuniga, who was arrested along with his wife, Luisa Pacheco, for conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants and harboring illegal immigrants in their Laredo home, received three years in prison, plus three years of supervised release.

Hodge, Zuniga and two other guardsmen, Jose Rodrigo Torres and Julio Cesar Pacheco, Luisa Pacheco’s brother, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens several times between May 2007 and June 7, 2007, when the smuggling operation was discovered with Torres’ arrest. The two other guardsmen have not yet been sentenced.

Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_guard_smuggling_080219/