Former Fort Hood soldier sentenced to prison in immigrant smuggling scheme

A former U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Hood has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for organizing a smuggling operation involving fellow service members, federal prosecutors announced.

Enrique Jauregui, 26, was sentenced in federal court in Pecos, Texas, to 33 months in prison for aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay a $10,000 fine.

According to court documents, Jauregui orchestrated a smuggling attempt in 2024 by recruiting two other soldiers—Angel Palma, 21, and Emilio Mendoza Lopez, 22—to pick up and transport undocumented migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border. Jauregui provided logistical support and planned to compensate the men after the drop-off.

On November 27, Palma and Mendoza Lopez drove from Fort Hood (then known as Fort Cavazos) to Presidio, where they picked up three undocumented migrants. During the return trip, they led U.S. Border Patrol agents on a high-speed chase, during which they rammed a marked vehicle, injuring an agent. The group fled on foot but were later apprehended, with Palma arrested at a hotel in Odessa.

All three soldiers pleaded guilty earlier this year. Palma and Mendoza Lopez were sentenced in May to 24 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

“These three individuals turned their backs on their values in a way that put our nation at risk, and put at risk the lives of others, including the lives of law enforcement officers,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division in Central Texas.