Three U.S. Army soldiers based at Fort Cavazos, Texas, have been arrested on criminal charges related to their alleged involvement in a human smuggling operation. The operation allegedly involved noncitizens from Mexico and Guatemala. “Soldiers Emilio Mendoza Lopez, Angel Palma, 20, and Enrique Jauregui, 25, were arrested after a vehicle allegedly driven by Palma and carrying Mendoza Lopez, a Mexican national and two Guatemalan nationals was stopped Nov. 27 by law enforcement in Presidio along the border with Mexico, about 500 miles (805 kilometers) southwest of Dallas,” the Associated Press noted. “Mendoza Lopez and Palma allegedly traveled from Fort Cavazos to Presidio for the purpose of picking up and transporting undocumented noncitizens,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas stated in a press release. “A third individual, Enrique Jauregui, is alleged to be the recruiter and facilitator of the human smuggling conspiracy. Data extracted from Palma’s phone through a search warrant revealed messages between the three soldiers indicating collaboration in the smuggling operation,” it continued. | Three soldiers from a military base in Texas arrested on immigrant smuggling charges https://t.co/uDJjWVJoyG pic.twitter.com/kvDfgVbAGs — VOZ (@Voz_US) December 5, 2024 Cont. from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas: Mendoza Lopez made his initial appearance Dec. 2 in Alpine before U.S. Magistrate Judge David B. Fannin. Mendoza Lopez is charged with one count of bringing in and harboring aliens. Palma and Jauregui were both arrested Dec. 3 on Fort Cavazos. They are scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Manske for their initial appearance hearings in Waco on Dec. 6. The two codefendants are charged in a separate criminal complaint with one count of bringing in and harboring aliens and one count of assaulting a federal agent. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Three U.S. Army soldiers at Fort Cavazos, Texas, have been arrested on human smuggling charges. https://t.co/7wmig79ahM — NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) December 5, 2024 Fort Cavazos Soldiers Arrested on Human Smuggling Conspiracy Charges https://t.co/GklmtcGpQg @HSI_SanAntonio @HSIElPaso @RealArmyCID — U.S. Attorney WDTX (@USAO_WDTX) December 4, 2024 The Associated Press reports: Mendoza Lopez’s attorney, Shane Chriesman, said he is awaiting more information, known as discovery, from prosecutors on the charge. “Once I get discovery and have a chance to assess the case we’ll develop a plan of attack” and will try to get a bond set for Mendoza Lopez, who is currently jailed without bail, Chriesman said. No attorneys are listed in jail records who could speak for for Palma and Jauregui, who are awaiting their first court appearance on Friday, according to Esparza.