Opinion ID: 65371
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Agent Hardin's Account

Text: Agent Hardin advised that at approximately 6:45 am on September 27, 2007, he observed a dark maroon Chevrolet SUV (Chevy SUV) heading north on Highway 1024. Highway 1024 is in a very remote, rural area. Hardin lived in the area and was familiar with the traffic. He did not recognize the Chevy SUV as being local traffic, and knew it to be of the type commonly used to smuggle aliens. Hardin declined to follow the vehicle, however, deciding to assist a disabled school van instead. He reported to work at the Comstock, Texas USBP station. Around 9 a.m., he received a tip from a local rancher who was also familiar with traffic on Highway 1024. The rancher informed Hardin that he had observed a maroon vehicle, perhaps a Chevrolet Suburban, traveling north and south on Highway 1024, and that the rancher suspected the vehicle to be involved in illegal activity. Hardin stated that the rancher's description matched exactly with the description of the vehicle I [Hardin] had observed earlier. Hardin and his supervisor drove up and down Highway 1024 searching for the Chevy SUV but did not find it. At approximately 9:45 a.m., another agent discovered footprints of roughly four suspected illegal aliens crossing the drag road [2] bordering Highway 90 west of Comstock. Hardin assisted that agent in tracking the suspected aliens, and informed his supervisor that the Chevy SUV he had spotted had probably picked up the individuals in question. At this time, Hardin first reported seeing a small silver colored Ford sedan ahead of me [Hardin] traveling north on Highway 1024. Hardin noted, with respect to the sedan: There were two occupants.... I did not recognize this vehicle as being `local traffic,' and mentally noted that there seemed to be a great deal of unusual traffic today. Hardin continued searching for the Chevy SUV, and next observed it traveling south on Highway 1024 past his location; he immediately followed it. He observed as the Chevy SUV stopped abruptly on the highway; three individuals ran from the brush towards the Chevy SUV and entered it; and then it sped off southward. Hardin relayed his observations to other USBP agents, and another agent who was driving a marked patrol unit (Hardin's was unmarked) stopped it. The driver of the Chevy SUV was identified as Juan Goitia, a U.S. citizen; the three other occupants were Mexican nationals who were in the United States illegally. The fact that the individuals lacked food, water, or extra clothes, and that some had scratch-marks and chafed skin on their shoulders, led the agents to believe that they were involved in drug-smuggling. Hardin reported that Goitia admitted to USBP Agent Bud Kimzey that Goitia and the aliens with whom he was traveling had loaded the drugs into a gray or silver Ford Tempo. Goitia's wallet contained a piece of paper identifying a car. The slip of paper contained what appeared to be a car's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), the words '92 Ford Tempo and 4D (shorthand perhaps for four doors), and what appeared to be two license plate numbers. Although Rodriguez was driving a silver or gray four-door Ford Tempo when he was stopped, it was not the Ford Tempo identified on the slip of paper; Rodriguez's Tempo contained a completely different VIN number and license plate, and was a 1991 model. Hardin attempted to explain this inconsistency at the suppression hearing. He testified that he had asked Goitia whether the vehicle identified on the piece of paper was the load vehicle for the drugs. Goitia had responded that it was not, but that it was in fact a second gray Ford Tempo. Hardin stated he had f[ou]nd it hard to believe that we'rewe saw a gray Ford Tempo traveling north on 1024 earlier and that that's the load vehicle, and now you [Goitia] have the vehicle's VIN number and license plates in your wallet. He further stated that he didn't believe him [Goitia] at the time he was questioning him. Hardin stated, however, that Goitia swore to me ... that this is a different Ford Tempo. He said, it looks just the same. Hardin stated that he was informed (he did not say by whom) that one of the aliens in custody had confessed his involvement in narcotics trafficking to Kimzey, and that the contraband had already been loaded into a little grey Ford car. Hardin reported that [t]his description matched the vehicle I had observed traveling north on 1024 earlier. Based on the fact that the driver of the Chevy SUV had a San Angelo, Texas address, and that the direction of travel might have been towards San Angelo, [3] Hardin concluded that the Ford's likely destination was San Angelo. Hardin relayed this information to San Angelo USBP agents and to a local sheriff's office in the form of a be-on-the-lookout alert, or BOLO. Hardin testified that the BOLO was for a little gray or silver four-door Ford Tempo with two occupants in it. Driver has on a straw hat, heading north. It is unclear from the record whether the BOLO also contained the inconsistent information from the slip of paper regarding a Ford Tempo with a different VIN number, license plate, and model year.