Pursuant to 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 , the court has determined that this opinionshould not * be publishe d and is not precedent except under the limited circu mstance s set forth in 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 .4. 

### INTHE UNI TED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHE FIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 09- 10712 Su m m ar yC al endar UN I TE D S TA TE S OF AM ERI CA, P l ai n t i f f

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v. H EC TO R JAI M E M EN D EZ- PE RE Z , D e fe nda nt - Appe l l ant

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rom t h e U n i t ed S t ates D i st ri ctC ou rt f or t h e N ort h ernD i st ri ctof T exas U SD C N o. 1: 08- C R
- 72- 2 B ef ore D AV IS, SM ITH , an d D E N N IS, C i rcui tJu dg es. P E R C U R IA M: * H e c to rJ a im e M e n d e z -P e r e z a p p e a ls t h e s e n te n c e im p o s e dfo llo w in gh is g u iltyp le aco n v ic tio n fo rtr a n s p o r tin gille g a l a lie n s a n d a id in g a n d a b e tt in gin vi o l at i o n o f

8 U . S. C. § 1 32 4( a) ( 1) (A) (i i) a nd 1 8 U . S. C. § 2 . H e co nt e nds t hatt he di s t r i c tc o ur tc l e ar l y e r r e d when i tde ni e d hi m am i no rr o l e r e duc t i o n pu r s uant t o U . S . S . G . § 3B 1 .2(b ). M en dez-Perez argu es t h at he w as essenti al l y j u st a n o th e rcu s to m e ro f c o -d e fe n d a n t E r n e s to H e r n a n d e z -P e r e z a n d t h a t h is s o le p a r tic ip a tio n in th e a lie n -tr a ffic k in g o ffe n s e w a s to te m p o r a r ilyd r iv e th e v e h ic le United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D Ma rc h 10, 2010 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I Clerk Case: 09-10712 Document: 00511047754 Page: 1 Date Filed: 03/10/2010N o. 09- 10712

2 i n w h ich th e al i en s w ere s ecret ed i n hop es of l ow eri n g h i s ow n sm u ggl i n g fee. A c c o r d in gt o M e n d e z -P e r e z , th e d is tr ic t c o u r t c le a r lye r r e din fin d in gth a t t h is i sol ated actm ad e hi m a f u l lparti ci pa n ti n t h e sc h em e. T h e di st ri ctcourtm u stapp l y t h e G u i del i n es and cal cul ate t h e adv i sory ra n ge corre ctl y. Un i t e dS t a t e s v . Wi l l i a ms , 5 2 0 F .3 d4 1 4 , 4 2 2 (5 th C ir .), ce rt. d enie d , 1 2 9 S . C t. 1 1 1 (2 0 0 8 ). W h e th e rth e d e fe n d a n t is am in o rp a r tic ip a n t is a fa c t u a l d e te r m in a tio n th a t is re v ie w e dfo rcle a re r r o r . Uni t e d S t at e s v. V i l lanu e va , 4 0 8 F .3 d1 9 3 , 2 0 3 ( 5 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ). “Afa c tu a l fin d in gis n o t c le a r ly erro n eo u s i f i t i s p l a u sibl e in li gh t of the reco rdrea das a w h ole. ” I d. M e n d e z -P e r e z h a s n o t s h o w n th a tt h e d is tr ic t c o u r t c le a r lye r r e din d eterm i ni ng t hat he w as not ent i t l ed t o a m i nor r ol e r educ t i on purs ua n t t o § 3 B 1 .2 (b ). S eeid . N ot w i t hs t and i ng t hathi s r o l e i n t e m po r ar i l y dr ivi ng t he veh i cl e m a yh a v e b een onl y pa rtof a l arger al i en sm u ggl i n g schem e, M endez
- Pere z pl eade d gui l t y t o t r anspo r t i ng i l l egal al i ens f orpr ivat e f

i nanci al ga i n. As adr ive r , hi s r o l e w as c e nt r al t o t he t r ans po r t at i o n o f t he i l l e ga la l i e ns a n dcle a r ly“c o e x te n s iv e w ith th e co n d u c t fo rw h ic h h e w a s h e lda c c o u n t a b le .” Un itedS ta tes v . G a rc ia , 242 F. 3d 593, 598- 99 ( 5t h C i r . 2001) . Furt her , al t hough M en dez-Perez m ay h ave been les s cu l pa bl e t h an H erna n dez-Perez, hi s act ivi t i es w e r e n o t p e r ip h e r a lt o th e a d v a n c e m e n t o f th e illicita c tiv ity . SeeVi l lanu e va , 4 0 8 F .3 da t 2 0 3 -0 4 . B e c a u s e M e n d e z -P e r e z w a s n o t s u b s ta n tia llyle s s cu lp a b le t h an t h e average p art i ci pa n t , t h e di st ri ctcourtdi d n otcl earl y err w h en i tden i ed h im atw o -le v e l re d u c tio n p u r s u a n t t o § 3 B 1 .2 (b ). Se ei d. Ac c o r d i n gl y, t he d is tr ic t c o u r t’s ju d g m e n t is A F F IR M E D . Case: 09-10712 Document: 00511047754 Page: 2 Date Filed: 03/10/2010