N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
AR AC ELI JAVIER , Pe titione r, v. LORETTA E. LYNC H, Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R

e sponde n t . No. 13-71672 Age n c y No. A086-920-257 M EM O R ANDUM *

On Pe tition for Re vie w of a n Orde r of the B oa rd of Im m igration Appe a ls Subm itte d M arc h 16, 2016 ** San Fran c isc o , C a lifornia B e fore : B YB EE a

nd N.R . SM ITH, C irc uit Judge s a nd KOR M AN, *** Se nior Distric t Judge
. Ara c e li Ja v ie r pe titions for re vie w of the de c ision of theB oa rd of Im m i gration Appe a l s (B IA) a ffirm ing a n im m igration judge ’ s (IJ) de t e rm i nation



# FIL ED MAR 25 2016 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U
. S
. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by 9th C ir. R . 36-3. ** The pa

ne l una nim ously c onc lude s this c a se is suita ble for de c ision without ora l a

rgum e nt. Se e Fe d. R . App. P. 34(a)(2). *** The Honora

ble Edwa rd R . Korm an, Se n i or Distric t Judge for the U.S. Distric t C ourt for the Ea s te rn Distric t of Ne wYork, sitting by de signa tion.that

she wa s ina dm i ssible pursua nt to 8 U.S.C . § 1182(a )(2)(C ) be c a use the re wa s

“ re a son to be lie ve ” she pa rtic ipate d in thetra ffic k ing of a c ontrolle d substa nc e . B e c a use “ re a sona

ble , substa

ntia l, a n d proba t ive e v ide nc e ” supports the de te rm i nations m a de by

the a g e nc y , we dism iss Ja vie r’ s pe tition for la c k of jurisdic tion. Se e Gome

z-Granillo v
. Holde r , 654 F.3d 826, 831 (9th C ir. 2011); se e also A larc on-Se rrano v . IN S , 220 F.3d 1116, 1119 (9th C ir. 2000). In 2001, offic e rs with the La s Ve ga s M e tropolita

n Polic e De pa

rtm e nt stoppe d a ve h ic le drive n by Javie r’ s e x-boy frie nd in whic h she wa s a pa sse nge r. Offic e rs found 35.6 gra

m s of c oc a ine c onc e a le d within the ve hic le , and a fte r se arc hing Ja

vie r, disc ove re d a

pla stic ba g c o nta ining $3,900.00 in c a sh tuc ke d be twe e n he r buttoc ks. Polic e arre s te d Ja vie r an d the sta

te c ha rge d he r with a viola tion of Ne v. R e v. Stat. § 453.3385 (tra ffic king in a c ontrolle d substa

nc e ) and a viola tion of Ne v. R e v. Stat. § 453.321 (tra nsporting a

c ontrolle d substa

nc e ). Pe r ne gotia tions, thesta

te late r dism isse d the c rim ina l c ha rge s a g a inst Ja

vie r an d she stipula te d to forfe iture of the se iz e d c a sh. In light of the

fa c tua l re c ord be fore it, thea ge nc y ’ s c onc lusion tha t the re wa s

“ re a son to be lie ve ” that Ja vie r knowingly

a ide d, a s siste d, or c ollude d with he r e x boy frie nd in the illic it tra ffic king of c oc a ine is supporte d by substa ntia l e vide nc e . Se e 8 U.S.C . § 1182(a )(2)(C )(i). Give n the c irc um sta nc e s of Ja vie r’ s a rre st— she 2wa s a

pa sse nge r in a

ve hic le c onta ining a

signific a n t am o unt of c oc a ine with ne arly $4,000.00 in c a sh hidde n be twe e n he r buttoc ks— a nd he r de c ision not to c onte st the c ivil forfe iture of the c onfisc ate d c a sh, we be lie ve tha t the a ge n c y ’ s c onc lusion is “ba se d on re a s ona

ble , substa

ntia l, a nd proba tive e vide nc e ” and “ m

ust be a ffirm e d.” Alarc on-Se rrano , 220 F.3d a t 1119. Javie r’ s a rgum e n ts to thec ontra

ry are una v a iling. Although c

rim ina l c ha rge s a ga inst Ja

vie r we re droppe d by

the sta te , § 1182(a )(2)(C ) “ doe s not re quire a c onvic tion in orde r for [an] a l ie n to be de e m e d re m ova b le .” Lope

z-Molina v
. Ashc roft , 368 F.3d 1206, 1209 (9th C ir. 2004). Additiona lly , while Ja

vie r offe re d

a non-c rim ina l e xpla

nation for he r be hav ior, ne ithe r the IJ nor the B IA wa s re quire d to a c c e pt tha

t te s tim ony

unc ritic a lly . Though a “ ge n e rous fa c t-finde r m ight ha ve be lie ve d [Ja

vie r’ s] ve rsion of thefa c ts, both the B IA and IJ we re c le arly

within re a s on on the se fa c ts a

nd c irc um sta

nc e s to c onc l ude othe rwise .” Alarc on-Se rrano , 220 F.3d a

t 1120. PE T IT IO N DISM ISSE D.

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