Houston Woman Sentenced for Illegally Transporting Aliens in the Eastern District of Texas
TYLER – A Houston woman has been sentenced to prison for federal immigration violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Maria Elizabeth Lopez, 48, pleaded guilty on August 18, 2022, to engaging in a conspiracy to transport certain aliens for commercial and private financial gain. Lopez was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker.
According to information presented in court, on October 3, 2021, deputies with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office stopped Lopez for a traffic violation and discovered 24 Hispanic individuals in the Chevrolet Suburban she was driving. Federal agents responded to the scene and determined that each of the passengers in the Suburban had illegally entered the United States and that Lopez had been hired to transport the individuals to destinations Mississippi and Florida. Lopez also admitted during the investigation that she had previously transported illegal aliens in the same manner.
Lopez was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 21, 2021 and charged with federal immigration violations.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alto Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Hurst.
