Edinburg man convicted for transporting people in tractor's cab

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (ValleyCentral) — An Edinburg man has been convicted of transporting undocumented migrants in the cab of a tractor.

According to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani, on Aug. 29. 2024, Lisandro Vasquez-Gomez, 26, drove to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint where he told authorities he was hauling an empty trailer and was heading to Houston.

He denied having any passengers however a K-9 alerted to the cab of the tractor where law enforcement located five people illegally present hidden behind the driver.

At trial, the jury heard from some of those being transported who explained that smugglers had driven them to a remote area where a tractor-trailer was waiting. They did not see the driver, but the vehicle began moving shortly after they were concealed in the sleeper berth.

The defense attempted to convince the jury that authorities failed to fully investigate the smuggling attempt and that Vasquez-Gomez was simply a decoy smuggling load. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty on all three counts.

The jury deliberated for an hour and a half following a less than two-day trial before finding Vasquez-Gomez guilty.

He faces up to five years in federal prison and was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.