Opinion ID: 805819
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Evidence Pertaining to Gilberto

Text: Aviles testified that he used Gilberto as a scout on five or more occasions. Aviles also testified that Gilberto allowed him to stay overnight once while Aviles waited for twelve illegal aliens to arrive at an agreed-upon location. Additionally, Moises Torres (“Torres”)—another co-conspirator—testified about Gilberto’s contacts with Garcia-Duarte and other co-conspirators. Torres testified that once, when he picked up a co-conspirator who fled from law enforcement, Gilberto was present at the scheduled pickup location, along with the individual that Torres was paid to pick up. 2 We refer to Garcia-Duarte’s brother as “Leodegardo” to avoid confusion between the two men. 3 Case: 10-50970 Document: 00511942697 Page: 4 Date Filed: 08/02/2012 No. 10-50970 Law enforcement officers testified that they stopped Gilberto three times in an area “known for alien smuggling traffic.” Consistent with Aviles’s testimony, the officers testified that Gilberto drove a red Ford Ranger. The first time law enforcement stopped Gilberto was at 3:30 a.m. after Officer Terrell observed Gilberto drive one way, turn his headlights off, and then make a u-turn and drive the other direction. The next evening, Officer Terrell observed two vehicles behaving strangely at 3:45 a.m. Officer Terrell testified that one vehicle stopped on the highway, and another passed it, turned its headlights off, made a u-turn, and returned to the first truck. The two vehicles then drove in tandem. Officer Terrell attempted to catch up with the two vehicles, but he was unable to do so. After he radioed the incident to other officers, they were able to pull over one of the vehicles, which was a red Ford Ranger driven by Gilberto. While Gilberto was being questioned by the officer, the other vehicle sped past Officer Terrell, who chased it. The driver of the other vehicle abruptly stopped, and the passengers scattered and fled in the brush. The officers eventually apprehended several of the passengers, who were confirmed to be illegal aliens. Officer Garza conducted a traffic stop on Gilberto’s red Ford Ranger several weeks later. Officer Garza testified that Gilberto referred to the stop as a “Rolodex” stop, which is a term used by border patrol agents to refer to suspicious vehicles that are seen in areas that are known for high drug or alien trafficking. Officer Garza testified that he had never heard anyone other than law enforcement use that term before. Additionally, Officer Garza testified that Gilberto appeared to be filming the stop through a camera on the truck’s dash. Finally, a Government investigator testified that Gilberto received total payments of $10,603 through Western Union, and, like the payments to Rosalinda, these payments were made from offices clustered around GarciaDuarte’s apartment complex in Houston. 4 Case: 10-50970 Document: 00511942697 Page: 5 Date Filed: 08/02/2012 No. 10-50970