Fleeing alien smuggler sent to federal prison Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas Dateline: Corpus Christi, Texas Date: 3 March 2025 Subjects: American Government , Crime

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old Los Fresnos man has been ordered to prison for attempting to smuggle an illegal alien further into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Carlos Del Angel Bocanegra pleaded guilty Nov. 25, 2024.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered him to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard evidence describing how Bocanegra had fled from law enforcement with four children in his vehicle. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the potential danger Bocanegra’s conduct posed the public and his passengers.

“Alien smuggling is an incredibly dangerous practice, both for the people smuggled and for innocent bystanders,” said Ganjei. “Fortunately, nobody was killed by Bocanegra’s actions, but the facts of this case could have easily turned tragic. I commend law enforcement for their excellent work in this case.”

On Aug. 27, 2024, Bocanegra approached the Border Patrol checkpoint near Kingsville driving a Chevy Tahoe with an adult passenger and four juveniles visibly present. Upon initial inspection, he denied having any contraband or unlawful people in his vehicle. However, authorities soon discovered an illegal alien concealed under a passenger row seat.

Bocanegra then immediately fled the checkpoint and led law enforcement on a chase down the highway. Authorities were able to end the pursuit quickly and took him into custody.

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Lamont prosecuted the case.

Updated March 3, 2025