A Cuban man has been found guilty of smuggling illegal aliens across the United States using a transport method straight out of a crime drama – hiding them in a refrigerated truck behind rotten produce. The Department of Justice reported Illeysel Carcasses, age 38, faces a serious time behind bars following a conviction by a federal jury in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The two-day trial ended with a 90-minute jury deliberation, resulting to quickly find Carcasses guilty of the human trafficking charges. According to a statement by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani, it was during a routine stop at the Sarita Border Patrol checkpoint on November 13, 2023, that Carcasses’ illegal operation came to a halt. A K-9 unit gave the signal that something was off with the truck, prompting a search that revealed five undocumented immigrants among decayed vegetables. They had no means of escape as they were locked in the back of the truck.
The evidence against Carcasses included the truck keys found in the cab, despite his claims of not having them, and cell phone records placing him at the scene where the individuals were picked up and packed away. The defense argued that Carcasses didn't know about his hidden human cargo, but the jury wasn't buying it.
Now convicted, Carcasses is facing up to five years in federal prison and could also be slammed with a $250,000 fine. Despite the conviction, he was allowed to temporarily walk free on bond as he waits for sentencing scheduled on May 8, presided by U.S. District Judge David S. Morales.
The case was a collaborative investigative effort by Homeland Security Investigations and the Border Patrol, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Marck and Joseph Griffith leading the prosecution. As the days inch closer to his sentencing, Carcasses' attempt to obscure his criminal activity has proven to be fruitless, just like the rotting produce that cloaked his desperate human payload.
