Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting an Illegal Alien within the U.S.

Gulfport, Miss. - A Mexican national pled guilty to the federal felony offense of unlawful transportation of an illegal alien within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Chief Patrol AgentJason E. Schneider of the U.S. Border Patrol's New Orleans Sector, and Special Agent in Charge David L. Denton of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.

According to court documents, Jesus Salgado-Perez, 31, was arrested on June 1, 2022, following a vehicle stop on Interstate 10 in Jackson County by a U.S. Border Patrol Agent assigned to the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team (MET). Salgado-Perez, the driver of the vehicle, did not have a driver's license and was found, along with his passenger, to be illegally present in the U.S.

Salgado-Perez will be sentenced on December 14, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and $5,100 in special assessments. After completing any prison sentence, he also is subject to Department of Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Jackson County Sheriff's Department.

The prosecutor for the case is Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris.