Pursuant to 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5, the court has determined that thi s opinion should 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

FORTHEFIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 08- 41029

UN I TE D S TA TE S OF AM ERI CA P l ai n t i f f - A pp el l ee v. S ANTA DE L GA DO- AR RO Y O D efen d a n t - A p p ell a n t

A p p ea lf

rom the U n i tedS tates D i stri ct C ou rt f or th e Sou t h ern D i st ri ctof T exas U SDC N o . 5 : 0 8

- CR- 0 0 7 3 6

- ALL

B ef ore JO L LY , W IE N E R , an d B A R K S D A L E , C i rcui tJu dg es. P E R C U R IA M: * Pur s uantt o a c o ndit i o nal guil t y pl e a, Sa nt a D e l ga do

- Arr o yoa ppe al s t he d en i a lof h er m o tion to su p p ress h er p ost- Mi r anda -w a rn i n g co n fessi on to k n ow i n gl y bri n gi n g, an d att em pti n g t o bri n g, il l egal al i en s i n t o t h e U n i t ed St at es f orf i nanci algai n. Pri m ar i l y ati ss ue i s w heth er th i s c onfes si on w as im p r o p e r lyo b ta in e d , fo llo w in ga n e a r lie ro n e t h a t w a s u n w a r n e d

. A F F IR M E D

. United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D December

22, 2009 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkN o. 08- 41029

2 I. A tapp roxi m ately 5: 00 a
. m . on 1 M ay 20 08, D el gad o an d three m i n or chi l dren , passen gers on a com m erci a l b u s f rom M exi co, arrivedat a border in s p e c tio n in L a r e d o , T e x a s . D el gad o i den t i f i ed h erself

t o C u st om s and B order P atr ol( C B P ) A gen t s as a l egal perm an en tres i den t , presented a U n i t ed S t ates bi rt h cer t i f

i cat e f or each chi l d, an d i den t i f i ed them as her son an d n i eces. S u spect i n g a fal se c l ai m t o U n i t ed S t ates citi z e ns hip, CB P A gen t s es cort ed D el gad o an d the chi l dren t o t h e sec on da ry sc reeni n g are a (s e cond ary) , w h ere D el gad o w as separated f rom t h e chi l dren an d s eated i n a rough l y f ive- by-t en f

oot i n t ervi ew room . Pu rsuan tt o C B P p ro ce du re, she w as ha n dcu f fed d u ri n g pa rt of t h e t i m e she w ai t ed f or h e r i n t ervi ew ers; she w as n ot , how ever, ha n dcu f fed
w hi l e b e i ng i nt e rvi e w e d. A tsec on da ry, t o C B P A gen tL eza, D el gad o conti n u ed to cl ai m t h e chi l dren
w ere her son an d n i eces. Th e A gen tal so t al ked t o t h e chi l dren , w h o a d m it t ed t o b e i ng M e xi c an c i t i z e ns a nd s t at e d the y di d no tkno w D e l ga do

. Bec aus e t he Age ntw as ne ar i ng t he e nd o f hi s m i dni ght

- t o - 8: 00 a . m . s hi f t , he pr e pa r e d a
m em oran du m f

or A gen t s f

or t h e i n com i n g shi f

t
. Th i s m em oran du m contai n ed “j u st a b rea k d ow n of w h a t th e sub j ects h a [d] tol d ” h i m a n draisedthe po ssibili ty of a “do cu m en t fa l se claim ”. W h e n C B P A g e n t D e L e o n a r r iv e dt o w o r kt h e s h ift b e g in n in ga t 8 :0 0 a .m ., s h e r e a dA g e ntLe z a ’ s me mo r a n d u m. F r o m 8 : 1 0 a . m. t o 8 : 2 5 a . m. , A g e n tDe Leo n s po ke t o t he c hi l dr e n, w ho a ga i n s t at e d: t he y di d no tkno w D e l ga do ; a nd t he bir t h c e r t i f

i c at e s w e r e no t t he i r s . I n ad dit i o n, t he c hi l dr e n t o l d t he A gent th a t D e lg a d o h a dpr ov i d edthe birth ce rtifi ca tes a n dh a di n stru ctedthe m to
m e m o r i z e t he i nf

o r m at i o n t he y c o nt ai ne d. Fr o m 8 : 45 a . m . t o 9 : 00 a . m . , Age ntD e Le o n i nt e rvi e w e d Del ga do f o rt he f i rst t i m e. A gen t D e L eon w as accom pa n i ed by an ot h er A gen t (b o th w ereN o. 08- 41029

3 un i f o r m e d a nd c a r r i e d f i r e a r m s ) ; t he d o o r t o t he i nt e rv i e w r o o m was al w ays open ; D el gad o w as n othandcuf fed; and, a Mi r andaw arn i n g w as n otg iv e n . B ecau se t h e chi l dren ’ s s t atem en t s c on f l i ct ed w i t h D el gad o’ s pri or statem en t th a t “ on e of th em w a s h er son , a n d

. . . tw o of the m w ere h er n i ece s”, A gen tD e L eon a skedD el gad o a bou th er rel ati on shi p w i t h t h e chi l dren

. Th i s l ed to D e l ga d o’ s f

i rst con fessi on ; sh e ex p l a i n edsh e h a dbe en h i red , f or p rofi t, to t ran sportt h e chi l dren i n t o t h e U n i t ed S t ates. U p o n h e a rin gth is firs t co n fes sio n , A g e n t D e L e o n im m e d ia te ly le ft D e l ga do

. Con s i s t e ntw i t h CB P p ro c e dur e , s he pr e pa r e d m e m o r and a no t i f yi ng p r o s e c u t io n o ff

ic e r s t h a t a c r im e h a d b e e n c o m m it t e d

. A g e n tD e L e o n ’s
s u p e rv i s o ra d v is e dh e rth a t t h e yw o u ld“p r o c e s s th e ca s e ”, i

. e. , pr ose cu te D el gad o. A t1 0: 50 a . m . , Age nt De Le o n r e t u r n e d t o De l g a d o a n d p r o v i d e d a Mi r anda w ar ni ng. Del ga do a gr e e d t o a ns w e rq ue s t i on s w i t h outal awye ra nd ga veas e c o nd c o nfe s s i o n, pr o vi di ng “ t ho r o ughi nf o r m at i o n i n r e gard s t o t he k i d s”. D elga d o w a s ch a rg edw i th thre e cou n ts of b ri n gin g, an dattem p ti n g to b ri n g, il l eg a lali en s i n to the U n i tedS tates for co m m ercial a d va n tag e a n dpr iva te fin a n c ia l g a in

. S ee 8 U

. S. C. § 1 32 4. She m o ve d t o sup pr e s s bo t h c o nfe s s i o ns b ut di d no tt e s t i f

y att he s upp r e s s i o n he ar i ng. Af t e rt he di s t r i c tc o ur tde ni e d the
su p p ress i on m oti on , D elga d o en tered a g u i l ty p l ea , con d itio n edon the ri gh t t o a p p e a l th e m o tio n ’ s d e n ia l. S h e w a s s e n te n c e d , in tera lia , t o 3 6 m on t h s’ i m p ri son m en t. II. L egal qu est i on s rel ated to t h e den i alof a sup pressi on m ot i on are r evi ew ed de no vo ; fa c t u a lf

in d in g s , o n lyfo rcle a re r r o r . E

. g. , Un i t ed S t ate s v. Nu n ezS an chez , 4 7 8 F

. 3 d6 6 3 , 6 6 6 ( 5 t h C i r . 2 0 0 7 )

. “ I n r e v i e wi n gf i n d i n g s o f

fa c t , weN o. 08- 41029

4 view the ev i d en ce in th e l i gh t m ost fav ora b l e to th e p a rty p rev a i l i n g b elow

. ” I d. ( quot i ng Uni t e d St at e s v . Lo pez - Mo r e no , 4 2 0 F .3 d4 2 0 , 4 2 9 (5 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 )). In d e n y in gth e s u p p r e s s io n m o tio n , th e d is tr ic t c o u r t fo u n d : a lth o u g h it
w as a“ c l o s e call” , D e l ga do w as no ts ubj e c tt o c us t o di ali nt e r r o ga t i o n; a nd, no i m pr o pe r , de l ibe r at e t w o - s t e p s t r at e gy , a s di s c us s e d i nf ra , wa s u s e dt oo b t ai n t he confes si on s. D el gad o chal l en ges both f i n di n gs. Th e s uppres sion hear i ng f oc use d pr i m ar i l y o n w het herD el gado w as
s ubj e c tt o c us t o di ali nt e r r o ga t i o n w he n s he g av e t he f i r s t , unwar ne d, c o nfe s s i o n. N e ve r t he l e s s , i ti s unnec e s s ar y t o dec i de t hati s s ue b e c aus e t he o ut c o m e t ur ns on w h et h er D el gad o’ s s econd , w arn ed, confessi on w as vol u n t ary an d n otpart of
ad e lib e r a te tw o -s te p s tr a te g y . S ee Nu n ez- S an chez , 478 F. 3d at666 ( “ [W ] e ‘ m ay a ff ir m th e d is t r ic tc o u r t ’s d e c i s i o n o n a n yb a s is e s t a b li s h e db yth e r e c o r d .’” ( quot i ng Un i t ed S t ate s v. Ch arles , 4 6 9 F .3d 4 0 2 , 4 0 5 (5t h C ir. 2 0 0 6 )))

. Mi ssouriv. S ei bert , 5 42 U

. S. 6 00 (2004 ) , a nd O r ego n v . Els t ad , 4 70 U

. S. 2 9 8 (1 9 8 5 ), p r o v id e th e re le v a n t a n a ly tic a l fr a m e w o r k

. “ S eib er t r e quir e s t he
s upp r e s s i o n o f

apo s t

- w ar ni ng s t at e m e nto nl y w he r e [t he b e l o w - desc r ibe d] del iberate t w o- st ep st rat egy i s used an d n o curative m easu res are t ak en ; w h ere t h at s t rat egy i s not u sed, ‘t h e ad m i ssibi l i t y of post w arn i n g st atem en t s c on t i n u es to b e g o v e rn e db yth e p rin cip les of Els t ad

. ’” Nu n ez- S an chez , 478 F. 3d at668 (i nt er nalal t er at i ons om i t t ed) ( quot i ng Un i t ed S t ate s v. Cou rt n ey , 463 F. 3d 333, 338 ( 5th C i r. 200 6) )

. Th i s “ del iberate t w o- st ep st rat egy” i n volves an i n t errogat or

“ r e l [yi n g] on t he de fe nda nt ’ s pr e w ar ni ng s t at e m e ntt o o bt ai n t he po s t w ar ni ng statem en t us edag a i n st h er a t t ri a l [, ]

. . . [b y] con fron t[i n g] the de fen d a n t w i th heri nadm i ss ibl e pr ew ar ni ng s t at em ent s an d p ush[i ng] hert o a c know l edge th em . ” S ei bert , 5 4 2 U .S

. a t 6 2 1 (K e n n e d y , J ., co n cu rr in ginj u d g m e n t). A. T h ere i s n o ev i den ce that A gen tD e L eon (ora n y ot h er C B P A gen t) used

“ a t w o - s t e p i n t err o ga t i o n t e c hni que. . . i n ac al c ul at e d way t o und e r m i ne t heN o. 08- 41029

5 Mi r andaw a r n in g”. S ee S ei bert , 5 4 2 U .S . a t 6 2 2 (K e n n e d y , J ., co n c u r r in gin ju d g m e n t) (s e tt in go u t t h e co n tr o llin gte s t, seeCou rt n ey , 4 6 3 F .3 da t 3 3 8 ); see gen er a lly Mi r andav . Ar izo na , 384 U

. S

. 436 ( 196 6)

. W h en she f i rsti n t ervi ew ed D e lg a d o , A g e n t D e L e o n s u s p e c te d , b u t h a dn o k n o w le d g e o f, acr im e . S h e d id notques t i on D el gado agai n until af t er D el gado had bee n advi se d abo ut , buthad
w aived , her Mi r andarig h ts
. I n s um , “t he r e w as no t hi ng i n t he c i r c um s t anc es or the nat ur e o f t he qu est i on i n g t o i n di cat e t h at c oerci on or ot h er i m proper t act i cs w ere used. [T h e]
e v i d e n c e[r e f

l e c t s ] t hat[ D e l ga do ] w as c al m a nd c o o pe r at ive , a nd [Age ntD e Le o n] d i d n ot a ct w i th a gg ress ive n ess or ho stility ”. Nu n ez- S an chez , 478 F. 3d at 6 6 8

– 6 9
. T h e p rin cip les of Els t ad , th e r e fo r e , g o v e r n th is ca s e . Se ei d. a t 6 6 9
. B. U n der Els t ad , “ a s uspec tw ho has res ponded t o unw ar ned ye tunco er c ive que s t i o ni ng i s no tt he r e bydi s ab l e d f r o m w aivi ng [her] r i ght s a nd c o nfe s s i ng af t er [ s] h e ha s been given t h e requi si t e Mi r andaw a r n in g s ”. Els t ad , 470 U

. S. at 3 1 8 ; seealso Nu n ez- S an chez , 4 78 F

. 3dat 668 (h ol di n g a post- w arn i n g confes si on i s adm i ssibl e even w h ere th ere i s a “ previ ou s[]

. . . pre- w arn i n g confes si on , so l o ng as t h e pr e - w ar ni ng c o nfe s s i o n was v o l unt ar y” )

. “A su bs e que nt
a d m in istr a tion of Mi r andaw ar ni ngs t o a sus pe c tw ho has give n a v o l unt ar y but
unw ar ned s t at em entor di naril y s houl d s uf f i c e t o r em ovet he co n d i t i ons t hat p reclu d edad m i ssion of th e ea rl i er sta tem en t. ” Els t ad , 4 7 0 U .S . a t 3 1 4
.
“ [T] he f i nde ro f fac tm us tex am i ne t he s ur r o undi ng c i r c um s t anc e s a nd the
e nt i r e c o ur s e o f

po l i c e c o nduc tw i t h r e s pe c tt o t he s uspectin e va l uat i ng t he
v o lu n ta r in e s s o f [h e r] s ta te m e n ts ”. I d. a t3 18. Th e surroun di n g circum st an ces, as di s c us s e d sup ra , s ho w t hat t he di s t r i c t c o ur t di d no t c l e ar ly err i n f i ndi ng D el gado’ s f

i r stc onfes si on, al t hough un w ar ned, w as vo l untary. D elga d o’ s seco n d , po st- w a rn i n g co n fessi o n w a s con sist en t w i th the f i rst. I tw as g ive n a f

t e rav ali d waive ro f he rpr o pe r l y ad m i ni s t e r e d Mi r andari gh tsN o. 08- 41029

6 andw as a l s o v o l unt ar y. As no t e d, D e l ga do w as ne verh and c uf fe d whi l e b e i ng i n t ervi ew ed; t h e door t o t h e i n t ervi ew room w as al w ays open ; an d sh e w as not subj ec t ed t o e xt ended i nt ervi ew s. In s h or t , t her e a r e “ no fac t s i ndi c at i ng t hat
coerc ive t act i cs w ere used i n obtain ing the secondconfessi on an d allevi den ce
s u g g e s ts th a t th e to n e o f th e q u e s tio n in g w a s e n tir e lyco n v e r s a tio n a l”. Nu n ezS an chez , 478 F

. 3dat 669
. In t h i s regard , a l t h ou gh D el gad o w as n ot , of course, requ i red to testif

y at th e sup pressi on hea ri n g, her deci si on not t o do so unde r m i ne s he rc o nt e nt i on t hatt he di s t r i c tc o ur tc l e ar ly e r r e d i n c r e dit i ng G ove r nm entw i t nes se s’t es t i m ony t hatshow ed herc onfes si ons w er e v ol untary. S ee Un ite dS t ate s v. Mend ez , 1 0 2 F. 3 d 1 2 6 , 1 3 1 ( 5 t h Ci r . 1 9 9 6 ) (no t i ngt hat

“be c aus e [t he de fe nda nt] di d no t t e s t i f y att he s upp r e s s i o n he ar i ng t he r e w as no evi denc e” i n favor of s uppres si on (c i t i ng Un i t ed S t ate s v. Mend ez , 27 F. 3d 126, 1 3 1

– 3 2 (5 th C ir . 1 9 9 4 ))). The di s t r i c tc o ur tpr o pe r l y de ni e d the m ot i on t o s upp r e s s t he s e c o nd confes si on . Th eref

ore, D el gad o’ s c on di t i on alpl ea agreem en tst an ds.

III. F o rt h e f

o r e g o i n gr e a s o n s , t h e j u d g me n ti s A F F I RMED.