Mother and daughter guilty of human smuggling

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A federal jury has convicted two family members from the Rio Grande Valley of transporting an illegal alien, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

The jury deliberated for two hours before returning guilty verdicts against Enedelia Garcia, 55, Weslaco, and Ashley Garcia, 37, Brownsville, following a two-day trial.

On the evening of July 22, 2025, Enedelia Garcia drove to the Border Patrol checkpoint near Kingsville with her daughter in the backseat and another passenger in the front seat. During an immigration inspection, law enforcement noticed nervous behavior from that passenger who was also unable to produce identification.

Authorities determined he was an illegal alien with no authorization to be in the country.

At trial, he testified he was smuggled into the United States and was expecting the pair to take him to Houston. The jury also heard that Ashley Garcia was texting a friend at the time of the smuggling event and said "not to ask" about her trip to Houston.

The defense attempted to convince the jury that they were deceived into believing the illegal alien was a U.S citizen. They did not believe those claims and found them both guilty as charged.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for Sept. 1, at which time the mother and daughter both face up to 10 years in federal prison.

Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Lamont is prosecuting 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.