A federal judge in the District of Vermont sentenced a Mexican national to prison following his conviction for smuggling nearly 100 migrants across the Canadian border into the U.S. The Mexican national received approximately $500,000 in smuggling fees during a five-month period.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New York announced that District Court Judge Mary Kay Lantheir sentenced Luis Fernando Barragan-Palacios, 29, of Queens, New York, to federal prison for a term of 18 months. Barragan-Palacios, originally of Oaxaca, Mexico, is expected to be deported upon the completion of his sentence.
A citizen of Mexico was sentenced last week for human smuggling through the State of Vermont. Swanton Sector Border Patrol Agents from the Richford, VT station arrested the individual during a smuggling attempt near Jay, VT. Read more from the @USAO_VT: https://t.co/kZwAK2pVuC pic.twitter.com/RgIjobR3pb
— Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia (@USBPChiefSWB) January 13, 2025
According to prosecutors, Barragan-Palacios failed to yield when Swanton Sector Border Patrol agents attempted to stop his rented pickup truck near the Canadian border with Vermont. Despite the icy road conditions, Barragan-Palacios recklessly led the agents on a high-speed pursuit.
Barragan-Palacios’ speed approached 85 mph as he fled from the agents. The agents later learned that the Mexican human smuggler had six migrants laying down unsecured in the bed of the pickup truck and unbelted in the cab.
Barragan-Palacios pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiring with others to transport migrants who illegally crossed the border from Canada into the United States, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. Court records show that he made approximately 30 human smuggling trips between August 2023 and January 2024.
During the five months of the smuggling scheme, Barragan-Palacios moved nearly 100 migrants from the Canadian border in Vermont to the New York City area. He admitted to receiving approximately a half-million dollars for his participation in the human smuggling scheme.
Swanton Sector Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia said agents assigned to the Richford Station arrested the Mexican citizen following the high-speed pursuit.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
