Opinion ID: 15343
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Luggage

Text: 25 The government next argues that if Ortega had been in Mexico for an extended family visit and was returning to Houston to put his children in school--as he contends--rather than on a drug run, he would have had luggage with him. As noted, each of the government's agents testified that they did not recall seeing luggage either in Ortega's possession or in the truck itself. Each also testified, however, that he was not charged with taking an official inventory. Furthermore, even though the agents asserted that standard procedure would call for the taking of a full, written inventory of the borrowed vehicle at the checkpoint, the government--curiously--chose not to produce such a writing at trial, thus failing to adduce affirmative documentary evidence that the Ortegas did not have luggage and thereby settle this contested fact. 23 For their part, both Mr. and Mrs. Ortega stated unconditionally that they were carrying a large suitcase in the truck. But even if we assume arguendo that the jury exercised its credibility prerogative and chose to believe the agents rather than the Ortegas on the luggage question, the mere absence of luggage would not make the explanation of a month-long family visit implausible, given Ortega's uncontradicted testimony that (1) he had a house in Miguel Aleman, (2) he lived semi-permanently with his sister in Houston, and (3) his children had clothes there. 26