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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A federal jury has found two family members from the Rio Grande Valley guilty of transporting an illegal alien, according to Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

The jury deliberated for two hours before delivering guilty verdicts against 55-year-old Enedelia Garcia, of Weslaco, Texas, and 37-year-old Ashley Garcia, of Brownsville, Texas, following a two-day trial. On the evening of July 22, 2025, Enedelia Garcia drove to the Border Patrol checkpoint near Kingsville with her daughter in the backseat and another passenger in the front seat. During an immigration inspection, law enforcement noticed nervous behavior from that passenger, who was unable to produce identification. Authorities determined he was an illegal alien with no authorization to be in the country.

At trial, the passenger testified he was smuggled into the United States and expected the pair to take him to Houston. The jury also heard that Ashley Garcia was texting a friend at the time of the smuggling event and instructed “not to ask” about her trip to Houston. The defense attempted to convince the jury that they were deceived into believing the illegal alien was a U.S. citizen. However, the jury did not accept those claims and found both guilty as charged.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for Sept. 1, at which time the mother and daughter both face up to 10 years in federal prison. The investigation was conducted by Border Patrol, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Lamont is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration and protect communities from violent crime, stated the source.