Opinion ID: 2811391
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: October 23, 2013 Arrest

Text: As noted, Defendant’s total sentence for the above three convictions for alien smuggling was 42-months imprisonment. His term of supervised release began upon his release from custody on August 21, 2011. In October 23, 2013, however, he was again arrested on suspicion of smuggling aliens. According to an 8 Case: 14-10591 Date Filed: 06/24/2015 Page: 9 of 24 affidavit of Coast Guard Senior Patrol Agent James Hawkins, Defendant and an accomplice, Yalian Puebla-Vasquez, were observed dropping off a large number of Cuban nationals on a Bahamian island. The vessel then traveled in the direction of the Florida Keys, where it was interdicted by the Coast Guard, “less than 10 minutes away from . . . crossing into the United States.” The Coast Guard apprehended Defendant and Vasquez and took them to the Marathon Border Patrol Station. Under questioning, Defendant first maintained that he was on a fishing trip, but when presented with a photograph of his vessel containing the passengers, he stated only that, “I left Miami, I was returning to Miami and I was in the Bahamas.” Later, authorities were able to make contact with the 33 passengers, some of whom were minors, who had been dropped off by Defendant and Vasquez. Defendant and Vasquez had left them on this uninhabited island with no food or water.