Former member of the Mexican National Guard pleads guilty in car theft case

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A former member of the Mexican National Guard who participated in a conspiracy to steal cars pleaded guilty on Friday.

Luis Enrique Guzman Pablo waived stolen cars across the Veterans International Bridge, which connects Brownsville to Matamoros.

Guzman collected $150 for every stolen car — allowing him to pocket $750 or more during a single shift.

“Guilty, your honor,” Guzman said Friday, when he appeared before a federal judge in McAllen.

As part of his job, Guzman inspected cars headed from Brownsville to Matamoros for cash, guns and other contraband. Officials also keep an eye out for stolen cars, which frequently cross the bridge.

In July 2024, officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection questioned Guzman.

Guzman admitted that he allowed stolen cars to cross the bridge.

“Mr. Guzman stated that he knew the vehicles were stolen in the United States and he would allow them to cross the port of entry,” according to the criminal complaint against him.

Two other people participated in the scheme, according to the criminal complaint, and they had been moving stolen cars across the border since May.

“Mr. Guzman stated that he would be paid for approximately 5-6 vehicles per night and would be paid approximately $150 in United States currency per vehicle,” according to the criminal complaint.

Agents with Homeland Security Investigations, which is part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, reviewed WhatsApp messages that Guzman sent during the conspiracy.

They showed Guzman had offered to assist people “exporting” cars in exchange for cash.

Officers arrested Guzman on July 13, when he attempted to cross the bridge.

The case against Guzman is part of a federal investigation focused on cross-border auto thefts.

In 2023 and 2024, federal prosecutors in McAllen brought charges against more than 20 people accused of attempting to export stolen cars.

Nearly all the stolen vehicles were trucks and SUVs, according to documents filed by federal prosecutors.

They had been stolen from driveways and parking lots in the Rio Grande Valley, and from dealerships in Houston and San Antonio. Homeland Security Investigations also recovered two cars that had been stolen in Colorado.

A man from Mexico told agents that someone offered him $100 to drive one of the stolen cars from an empty lot near Weslaco to Reynosa, according to the criminal complaint against him.

In another instance, Customs and Border Protection caught a woman crossing the border in a stolen Ford F-250.

The woman told Homeland Security Investigations that someone in Mexico had provided her with a fake Florida license plate and a cloned key, according to the criminal complaint against her.

She picked up the stolen Ford F-250 in a parking lot near La Plaza Mall in McAllen and headed back to Mexico.

Officers at the Hidalgo bridge spotted the fake license plate and stopped her from crossing the border.

Guzman is scheduled to be sentenced in May. He faces a maximum of five years in federal prison.

“No matter what side of the border or what country they represent, we expect all authorities to do their duties and respect the law,” Interim U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said in a statement. He added that Guzman: “abused his position in order to enrich himself, and The Southern District of Texas will continue to ensure those like him face the appropriate consequences.”