Rio Grande City man convicted for transporting illegal aliens in cattle trailer

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 28-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been found guilty of transporting illegal aliens.

The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before convicting Jose Manuel Gomez following a two-day trial.

On July 2, Gomez drove a white Ford F-250 hauling a cattle trailer to the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias.

The jury heard that following a K-9 alert, authorities discovered eight illegal aliens hidden behind bales of hay.

Gomez claimed a friend asked him to move cattle and directed him to the trailer. He also claimed he did not know who owned it.

The investigation revealed the trailer had been sold on Facebook Marketplace to a buyer using the same phone number as Gomez's wife.

The seller testified that Gomez, his wife, and their children arrived in a white F-250 to pick up the trailer in Melvin, Texas.

The jury also heard that Border Patrol checkpoint cameras captured the same white F-250 hauling the trailer approximately one week before the smuggling incident and again on the day of the offense.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for Jan. 6, 2027. At that time, Gomez faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine

Border Patrol and Brooks County Sheriff's Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bird and Ashley Martin are prosecuting the case.