Source: Office of United States Attorneys
LAREDO, Texas – A 31-year-old Dallas resident has been charged with conspiring to transport, attempting to transport and transporting two undocumented minors illegally in the United States for financial gain, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jovanna Netzay Diaz is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver in Dallas at 10 a.m. She will then be expected in Laredo federal court shortly thereafter.
A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment Feb. 19 which was unsealed upon her arrest Feb. 27.
The charges allege that on Oct. 26, 2024, Diaz arrived at the Border Patrol checkpoint in Laredo. Upon initial inspection, authorities allegedly observed a blanket moving between the second and third row of the vehicle.
Law enforcement soon found one minor underneath the blanket and another concealed on the floorboard of the vehicle’s front passenger seat, according to the charges. The minors were allegedly determined to be nine-year-old twins, who were nationals and citizens of Mexico with no familial connection to Diaz.
If convicted, Diaz faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 maximum possible fine.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Lopez is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.