Court Opinion

ID: 9961745
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-19 18:00:49.12566+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:18:54.280020
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-50635            Document: 45-1         Page: 1      Date Filed: 04/19/2024

           United States Court of Appeals
                for the Fifth Circuit                                              United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                            Fifth Circuit
                                   ____________
                                                                                          FILED
                                                                                      April 19, 2024
                                    No. 23-50635
                                  Summary Calendar                                   Lyle W. Cayce
                                  ____________                                            Clerk

United States of America,

                                                                    Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                          versus

Luis Armando Morales-Rojas,

                                            Defendant—Appellant.
                   ______________________________

                   Appeal from the United States District Court
                        for the Western District of Texas
                           USDC No. 2:20-CR-1544-2
                   ______________________________

Before Jones, Southwick, and Ho, Circuit Judges.
Per Curiam:*
       Luis Armando Morales-Rojas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to
transport illegal aliens in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(v)(I) and
(B)(i), and transporting aliens within the United States for private financial
gain in violation of § 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii) and (B)(i).               The district court
sentenced Morales-Rojas to 60 months of imprisonment.

       _____________________
       *
           This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 23-50635        Document: 45-1       Page: 2    Date Filed: 04/19/2024

                                 No. 23-50635

       On appeal, Morales-Rojas challenges the application of a two-level
enhancement pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(c) based on the finding that he
acted as an organizer of the criminal activity. A district court’s finding that
a defendant played an aggravating role for purposes of an adjustment under
§ 3B1.1(c) is a finding of fact that we review for clear error. United States v.
Ochoa-Gomez, 777 F.3d 278, 281 (5th Cir. 2015).
       The record shows that Morales-Rojas recruited his son-in-law to work
in the smuggling operation, and he controlled how much information his son-
in-law had about the operation. Morales-Rojas also rented the motel room
where he and his son-in-law stayed while waiting to transport the illegal
aliens, and he was the sole communicator with someone higher up in the
operation. Thus, the record plausibly supports the district court’s finding
that Morales-Rojas played an aggravating role in his offense by exercising
control over another participant. See id. at 283; see also United States v.
Giraldo, 111 F.3d 21, 24-25 (5th Cir. 1997) (holding that a defendant’s
recruitment of money suppliers of a drug transaction was sufficient to
establish that a defendant exercised control over another participant).
Accordingly, the district court did not clearly err in applying the
enhancement.
       AFFIRMED.

                                       2