LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — Victor Manuel Aldavaz-Jurado has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for conspiracy to transport illegal migrants, court documents reveal.
The sentencing followed Aldavaz-Jurado’s guilty plea last month. Two additional charges—conspiracy to transport illegal migrants and reentry after removal—were dismissed as part of the plea deal.
The case dates back to October 25, 2024, when New Mexico State Police requested assistance from the Las Cruces Border Patrol Station. Agents were alerted about a white Ford van on Interstate 25 in Sierra County carrying 30 passengers.
Upon questioning, Aldavaz-Jurado, the driver, admitted to being a Mexican citizen unlawfully present in the U.S. The passengers were also undocumented immigrants.
Aldavaz-Jurado revealed he entered the U.S. illegally near Sunland Park on October 5, 2024. He stated he was taken to a stash house and offered payment to transport migrants to Albuquerque. He transported 23 migrants to a location in Truth or Consequences and awaited another vehicle carrying seven more.
Aldavaz-Jurado has been placed in U.S. Marshals custody to begin his sentence and will serve two years of unsupervised release afterward. The court recommended ICE initiate removal proceedings during his imprisonment.
