Opinion ID: 65055
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Hiring and payment of the drivers

Text: Marciel Castillo, a childhood friend of Zuniga, was the first individual hired as a driver. In 2001, Zuniga approached Castillo and asked if he was interested in making some extra money by being Zuniga’s driver. Castillo described Zuniga as having “recruited” him. Castillo would drive Zuniga from his home in Brownsville to Matamoros, Mexico. While in Mexico, Zuniga directed him to drive to a specific store where a different car would be waiting. Castillo would then drive that car back across the border, and Zuniga would drive back in the car that they originally drove from Brownsville. Zuniga never crossed the border into Texas in the same car as Castillo. Later, Zuniga instructed Castillo to drive to Dallas and check into a hotel. Zuniga did not drive to Dallas, but he would later arrive at the hotel to use the car for several hours. After Zuniga returned the car to the hotel, Castillo was instructed on where to return it in Mexico. Castillo testified that no one other than Zuniga paid him for these trips. Castillo exited the conspiracy without ever being arrested. Castillo approached Roberto Ysasi, his second cousin, about becoming a driver for Zuniga. Castillo told Ysasi that he was transporting drugs, but he did not know what specific drug. Although Castillo first approached Ysasi, it was Zuniga who ultimately offered him employment as a driver, and Ysasi understood that he was working directly for Zuniga, not Castillo. Ysasi’s trips mirrored those described by Castillo. Ysasi was arrested on September 28, 2006, 5 after border agents discovered six kilograms of cocaine hidden in the car he was driving. Rafael “Angelo” Pellot, one of Ysasi’s cousins, met Zuniga at a party in late 2005. Soon thereafter, he was approached by Ysasi about becoming a driver for Zuniga, but it was Zuniga, again, who actually offered him the job. Pellot testified to performing his driving duties in approximately the same way as Castillo and Ysasi. Pellot also testified that Zuniga was the only one who paid him. Apart from the normal Mexico to Dallas trips, Zuniga directed Pellot to pick up a Jeep in Houston and drive it back to Dallas. On this trip, Pellot was pulled over for speeding and the police discovered $75,000 in cash hidden inside the firewall of the Jeep. Pellot was arrested for money laundering, and the car and cash were confiscated. Zuniga stopped using Pellot as a driver for several months, but their relationship eventually resumed. Pellot was arrested a second time while crossing the border into Texas after agents found fifteen pounds of cocaine in the car’s hidden compartment. Zuniga told Pellot that he was buying another car and would need to hire another driver. Pellot suggested his friend Jose Compean. Pellot approached Compean and described the job, including Pellot’s impression that there were drugs in the cars. In February 2005, Zuniga set up a meeting with Compean at Pellot’s house. At this meeting, they did not discuss employment. However, at the conclusion of this meeting, Zuniga took Compean on his first trip to bring cars across the border. After that, Compean was employed by Zuniga in essentially the same capacity as Pellot, Ysasi, and Castillo. On August 4, 2006, Compean was arrested crossing the border after a canine unit alerted agents to the backseat of the car which concealed thirty pounds of cocaine. Katherine Leal was Compean’s girlfriend during the time he worked for Zuniga. She testified that on the night that Compean was arrested crossing the border, Zuniga called her and asked her to go through the checkpoint to see if 6 Compean had been detained because he stopped answering his phone and had not checked in with Zuniga as instructed. Although she was never employed by Zuniga, she followed these directions.