A grand jury recently indicted the Rio Grande Valley woman who claimed that a drag queen recruited her to smuggle immigrants through the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint.
The federal grand jury indicted Cindy Rojas and her friend Juan Valdez-Molina ” a Mexican man who received legal status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program approved by President Barack Obama ” on Wednesday.
Border Patrol agents arrested the duo Jan. 11 at the Falfurrias checkpoint.
They were driving a rented car with two immigrants in the back seat, according to federal court records. Border Patrol determined the immigrants weren TMt lawfully present in the United States.
Rojas told Border Patrol agents she met a drag queen at Studio 69, a Brownsville gay bar, according to the criminal complaint against her. The drag queen offered to pay her $1,500 to drive two immigrants to Houston.
After calling Valdez-Molina for help, Rojas rented a blue Hyundai Sonata for the trip. They picked up two immigrants at a Stripes gas station and headed north on U.S. 281.
When Rojas, Valdez and the two immigrants stopped at the checkpoint, Border Patrol agents asked them whether or not they were United States citizens.
Rojas attempted to answer for everyone, which made the Border Patrol agents suspicious, according to the criminal complaint. When a Border Patrol agent followed up by asking one of the immigrants where he was born, the man simply answered: Yes.
The two immigrants admitted they didn TMt have legal permission to enter the United States, according to the criminal complaint.
Border Patrol took Rojas, Valdez and both immigrants into custody. They also seized $1,400 and a pistol from her purse.
A judge set bond for Rojas at $30,000 with a $500 cash deposit, according to federal court records. Valdez was remanded to custody.
