Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
McALLEN, Texas – A 19-year-old Mexican national has been arrested for his alleged role in attempting to export a stolen vehicle, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Angel David Salas-Herrera is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia S. Medrano at 10 a.m.
The criminal complaint alleges that on May 2, law enforcement observed a Jeep Gladiator in Cameron County that had been reported stolen from Edinburg. They attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver refused to yield, and a chase ensued, according to the charges. It ended as the vehicle allegedly collided near a residence in Brownsville.
Salas-Herrera was the passenger, according to the allegations. During a search of the Gladiator, law enforcement allegedly found multiple key fobs and a device utilized to program them.
The charges allege the Gladiator was intended to be exported to Mexico for the Gulf Cartel. Law enforcement was also able to recover two additional stolen vehicles that were allegedly intended for the same purpose.
Salas-Herrera is charged with export of stolen motor vehicles. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison. He could also be ordered to pay up to a $250,000 fine.
This case is part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Operation Cocina de Caldo. The FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations are conducting the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, sheriff’s offices in Hidalgo and Cameron Counties and police departments in McAllen, Mission, Pharr, Brownsville, Edinburg and Rancho Viejo. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roberto Lopez Jr. and Sarina DiPiazza are prosecuting the case.
The OCDETF operation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.law.