Opinion ID: 3065484
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Ramirez-Esqueda’s Confessions

Text: At some point, Perez instructed Ramirez-Esqueda to sit in the living room while the Border Patrol agents processed the situation. At that time, there were five Border Patrol agents— Rodriguez, Martinez, Perez, Leyba, and Castro—and several Brawley Police officers on the grounds; Leyba and Castro showed up after the other agents had entered both units. Without informing Ramirez-Esqueda of the Miranda warnings, Perez and Castro had a brief conversation with RamirezEsqueda while he was sitting in the living room before Perez took him outside for further questioning. During that brief conversation, they inquired as to his citizenship, his reason for UNITED STATES v. REYES-BOSQUE 3207 being at the house, how he knew Reyes-Bosque, and whether he knew Rivas-Pozos. Ramirez-Esqueda stated that he was at the house to purchase a vehicle, although he could not state which one, and that he knew Rivas-Pozos. After taking him outside, Perez asked him about his prior arrest and about his reason for visiting the house. After Ramirez-Esqueda claimed simply to be visiting, Perez said, “You were caught for alien smuggling, just tell us the truth,” and asked, “Are you smuggling again?” Ramirez-Esqueda stated that he was working for “him,” presumed to mean Reyes-Bosque, and that he got paid $100 for scouting the checkpoints. The defendants and the illegal immigrants found in Unit 4 were taken to the station. Castro and Leyba—neither of whom heard Ramirez-Esqueda confess on the scene—conducted a videotaped interview with Ramirez-Esqueda at the station. Before questioning him, Castro read him the Miranda warnings in Spanish. During this interview, Ramirez-Esqueda admitted that he was hired by Reyes-Bosque to scout the Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 86. He further stated that he used a cellular phone that Reyes-Bosque gave him to report on the status of the checkpoint, so that Reyes-Bosque would know when to move people across the border.