A federal jury in Corpus Christi, Texas has convicted Ludivina Vasquez-Salinas, a 63-year-old resident of Penitas, for transporting an undocumented immigrant further into the United States. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The verdict followed a one-day trial during which the jury deliberated for about 25 minutes before reaching its decision. The case stemmed from an incident on May 7, 2025, when law enforcement stopped a white SUV driven by Vasquez-Salinas. Authorities initially saw three people inside the vehicle, but soon noticed that the rear window became obscured as if covered with a blanket or another item.
During the trial, evidence showed that Vasquez-Salinas told authorities only she and her daughter were in the vehicle. However, testimony revealed that officers observed movement beneath a blanket on the rear floorboard. Vasquez-Salinas later admitted to knowing there was an undocumented immigrant in her vehicle and acknowledged she was transporting them past a checkpoint.
The defense argued that Vasquez-Salinas had been deceived into carrying the individual, but the jury rejected this claim and found her guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales presided over the proceedings and scheduled sentencing for May 27. At sentencing, Vasquez-Salinas could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. She may also lose her legal status to reside in the United States.
Vasquez-Salinas remains in custody until her sentencing hearing.
Customs and Border Protection led the investigation while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Griffith and Izaak Bruce prosecuted 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 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,” according to officials.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas has offices across several cities including Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville (official website). The office is part of the U.S. Department of Justice under supervision from the Attorney General (official website), employs more than 200 attorneys covering 43 counties with over nine million residents (official website), focuses on prosecuting federal crimes as well as handling civil cases for government interests (official website), and has had leaders such as Alamdar Hamdani (2022-2025) among others (official history page).
