Oct. 19—Only have a minute? Listen instead
A 22-year-old man from Brownsville, Texas has received a four-year prison sentence for his involvement in smuggling individuals into the country illegally last year.
During the smuggling attempt, Cristian Rodriguez collided with a Border Patrol unit on two occasions while trying to evade capture.
The incident occurred on September 16, 2022, when Border Patrol agents encountered Cristian Rodriguez driving a Chrysler 300 on JoAnn Lane. His brother, Rolando Rodriguez Jr., occupied the front passenger seat, as stated in his plea packet.
“Agents observed three males fleeing north from the border wall and entering the backseat of the Chrysler 300,” the document described.
Cristian Rodriguez then attempted to escape but ended up crashing into a Border Patrol unit that had activated its emergency lights.
“Defendant Cristian Rodriguez reversed the Chrysler 300, accelerated, and crashed into the marked Border Patrol unit a second time, pushing it down the road,” the factual summary indicated.
In a news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, it was disclosed that the authorities rescued the brothers and the individuals they were attempting to smuggle, assessing them for injuries.
According to court records, Cristian Rodriguez pleaded guilty on May 23 to charges of transporting individuals in the country illegally and assaulting a federal agent.
Rolando Rodriguez had previously received a prison sentence of nearly four years after pleading guilty to transporting individuals in the country illegally.
