Court Opinion

ID: 9411969
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-07-28 18:03:54.910071+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:41:25.204269
License: Public Domain

Case: 22-50725         Document: 00516837734             Page: 1      Date Filed: 07/28/2023

              United States Court of Appeals
                   for the Fifth Circuit
                                      ____________
                                                                                United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                         Fifth Circuit
                                       No. 22-50725
                                     Summary Calendar                                   FILED
                                     ____________                                     July 28, 2023
                                                                                  Lyle W. Cayce
   United States of America,                                                           Clerk

                                                                       Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                             versus

   Victor Alonso Juarez Salcido,

                                               Defendant—Appellant.
                      ______________________________

                      Appeal from the United States District Court
                           for the Western District of Texas
                               USDC No. 3:21-CR-1051-1
                      ______________________________

   Before Wiener, Elrod, and Engelhardt, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam: *
          Defendant-Appellant Victor Alonso Juarez Salcido appeals his
   conviction for conspiracy to possess five kilograms or more of cocaine with
   intent to distribute, and importation of five kilograms or more of cocaine. He
   insists that the district court abused its discretion by giving a “deliberate
   ignorance” instruction to the jury.

          _____________________
          *
              This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 22-50725      Document: 00516837734           Page: 2    Date Filed: 07/28/2023

                                     No. 22-50725

          We review the district court’s decision for abuse of discretion. United
   States v. Brooks, 681 F.3d 678, 697 (5th Cir. 2012). A deliberate indifference
   instruction “is appropriate only when a defendant claims a lack of guilty
   knowledge and the proof at trial supports an inference of deliberate
   [ignorance].” United States v. McElwee, 646 F.3d 328, 341 (5th Cir. 2011)
   (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). That instruction should be
   used when the evidence at trial raises two inferences: “(1) the defendant was
   subjectively aware of a high probability of the existence of the illegal conduct;
   and (2) the defendant purposely contrived to avoid learning of the illegal
   conduct.” Brooks, 681 F.3d at 701 (internal quotation marks and citation
   omitted).
          Juarez Salcido concedes that the Government met the first inference.
   The record indicates that Juarez Salcedo was aware that his activities were
   likely illegal. For example, he expressed concern as to whether he was
   committing a crime by bringing money over the border, he inspected the
   vehicle out of suspicion, he made untruthful statements to the Customs and
   Border Protection (CBP) officers and the Homeland Security Investigations
   (HSI) agent, and he displayed nervous behavior when he encountered the
   CBP officers. See Brooks, 681 F.3d at 701-02; United States v. Nguyen, 493
   F.3d 613, 619-20 (5th Cir. 2007).
          Juarez Salcido nevertheless contends that he did not engage in a
   “purposeful contrivance to avoid learning of the illegal conduct.” Brooks,
   681 F.3d at 701. However, the record militates against him. For example, he
   did not question the source of the money he received or the instructions to
   leave the car unattended in a parking lot for an unknown individual to place
   money in the car. When viewed in the light most favorable to the
   Government, the evidence gives rise to an inference that Juarez Salcido
   purposefully avoided learning about the illegal purpose of his trip. See United
   States v. Farfan-Carreon, 935 F.2d 678, 679, 681 (5th Cir. 1991); Nguyen, 493

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Case: 22-50725      Document: 00516837734           Page: 3   Date Filed: 07/28/2023

                                     No. 22-50725

   F.3d at 621-22. We conclude that there was no abuse of discretion by the
   district court. See Brooks, 681 F.3d at 697.
          The district court’s judgment is AFFIRMED.

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