ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A Florida man was sentenced to prison for smuggling illegal migrants in New Mexico.
According to court documents, Omar Ozuna-Berneda, 49, was spotted by Border Patrol driving a white tractor-trailer that had been previously seen traveling in tandem with other tractor-trailers caught in failed smuggling attempts.
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When Border Patrol agents attempted to pull over the truck on New Mexico State Road 26 near Deming, he led agents on a high-speed pursuit.
After 22 miles, Ozuna-Berneda ditched the truck on New Mexico State Road 26 near the city limits of Hatch and fled on foot.
Border Patrol agents found 31 illegal migrants locked inside the trailer, including an unaccompanied 8-year-old child. Ozuna-Berneda was later taken into custody by Border Patrol agents hiding in brush several miles from the abandoned tractor-trailer.
During questioning, Ozuna-Berneda admitted to knowingly transporting illegal migrants from Las Cruces to Albuquerque in exchange for payment, according to the Department of Justice,
Ozuna-Berneda was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison. Once released he will be subject to three years of supervised release.