Guilty Verdict in First Illegal Alien Trespass Trial in Texas

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

BRACKETTVILLE, Texas—The first jury trial under Texas’s Operation Lone Star border program wrapped up in Kinney County, Texas, on May 9.

The defendant, Honduran native Lester Hidalgo Aguilar, was found guilty of criminal trespass on a local ranch and sentenced to the maximum jail time of one year. The judge declined to apply an accompanying fine, which could have been up to $4,000, but said Aguilar should pay court costs ($290).

Aguilar’s trial was a litmus test for the Operation Lone Star arrests, which began around July last year as Gov. Greg Abbott directed state troopers to arrest trespassers on state or private land.

Until now, almost all defendants have pleaded guilty or no contest to trespass or other misdemeanor charges, and have reached a plea deal of time served and no fine.

Aguilar’s trespass charge was enhanced to a Class B misdemeanor as he was found beyond 100 feet inside the property line of an agricultural operation, then elevated to a Class A as the crime occurred during a declared state disaster.

Most of the Operation Lone Star arrests have taken place in Kinney County, with ranchers and landowners increasingly finding cut fences, broken water troughs, and other property damage as scores of illegal immigrants have traversed their land to avoid law enforcement.

The Del Rio border sector, in which Kinney County sits, is consistently one of the highest regions for illegal immigrant “gotaways”—those who are detected by Border Patrol but evade capture.

In April, preliminary numbers from Customs and Border Protection revealed more than 16,000 gotaways in the Del Rio sector.

Those gotaways either coordinate with smugglers to drive them to San Antonio or Houston, or walk through private ranchland until they’re clear of the Border Patrol highway checkpoints, then arrange for transport.

Cheryl Gabler Tomlin, upon whose family ranch Aguilar was arrested, testified at the trial, saying the property is fully fenced and no one was authorized to enter the property, where she raises cattle and goats.

After the trial, she told The Epoch Times she was satisfied with the outcome. “I thought he would get off. I’m happy,” she said as she left the courtroom.

Tomlin said her life has changed considerably in the past year and a half as more illegal aliens encroach on her land. She recalled one of her scariest moments when she was opening a fence to let her horses out while still astride her ATV. A man appeared, and she said he whispered, “Don’t tell, don’t tell,” and leapt over the fence toward her ATV.

She hit the gas, and he struck the side of the ATV and fell down. She waved down Border Patrol agents who were down the road looking for him. The agents arrested the man and later told her he was a five-time aggravated assault felon from Honduras.

“I have a gun all the time now,” Tomlin said.

By Charlotte Cuthbertson

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

CHARLIE KIRK, YOU WEREN’T PROVED WRONG

"I want to be remembered for courage for my faith,” Kirk had said in a podcast merely two months ago. May his courage spur us to be bolder in our faith.

Trump’s Proposal For NATO To Stop Buying Russian Oil & Start Tariffing China Is Unrealistic

Trump proposed on social media that NATO stop buying Russian oil and start tariffing China 50-100% as part of his plan for ending the Ukrainian Conflict.

The Choices We Make

Death and disagreement are inevitable. Love and hate are choices. We will all die. Before we do, what choices will we make?

Elon Musk Speaks at Unite the Kingdom Rally

Tommy Robinson held rally, with Elon Musk appearing virtually, calling attention to leftist politicians who allow foreign immigrants to invade England.

Doxed Democrats Are Getting Fired Left and Left

Not a misprint because a title of “left and...

ABC Suspends Jimmy Kimmel: 5 Things to Know

ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel indefinitely over remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, following an FCC warning its head would act against the network.

Judge Rules Pro-Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil Should Be Deported

A U.S. judge ordered pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil deported after finding he omitted information on his green card application.

Charlie Kirk’s Widow, Erika, Named New CEO of Turning Point USA

Turning Point USA announced it named Erika Kirk as new CEO and board chair of Turning Point USA, which late husband, Charlie Kirk, co-founded.

Shares of Intel Increase 30 Percent on $5 Billion Nvidia Investment

Shares of Intel increased by about 30 percent at the opening bell after Nvidia announced a $5 billion investment in the struggling chipmaker on Sept. 18.

Trump, Starmer Seal Record $340 Billion ‘Tech Prosperity Deal’

President Trump and British PM Keir Starmer announced a new partnership worth $340 billion in technology, nuclear power, and private equity.

Rubio Says US Visa Revocations Underway After Charlie Kirk Death Celebrations

SoS Marco Rubio said foreign nationals who made celebratory comments over Charlie Kirk’s assassination will have their U.S. visas revoked.

Trump Supports Designating Antifa a Terrorist Organization

President Trump said he would support designating the antifa movement a terrorist organization in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination last week.

US Conducts Strike on Another Drug Boat From Venezuela: Trump

Three people were killed in a U.S. strike on a Venezuelan drug boat, President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 15.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central