Two Mexico residents, Abraham Romo-Rivera and Amairani Munoz-Molinar, appeared in federal court in El Paso to face charges for allegedly smuggling migrants, including a child, into the U.S.

Smuggling Attempt Foiled at Paso Del Norte Port of Entry

Romo-Rivera, 39, and Munoz-Molinar, 29, attempted to cross the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry from Mexico on Sunday. Romo-Rivera drove the vehicle, which carried Munoz-Molinar, a boy, and a woman. They presented their permanent resident cards and claimed the two other passengers as their children.

A Customs and Border Protection officer noticed the woman trying to hide her face and sent the vehicle for another inspection. The officer also discovered that the woman’s identification documents did not match her, and she allegedly disclosed that she was a Mexican citizen.

Investigators found that Romo-Rivera was expecting a $10,000 payment to smuggle the woman and boy through the border. During a pat-down search, an officer found an envelope containing the woman and boy’s actual birth certificates and passports, revealing that the boy was a minor.

Romo-Rivera and Munoz-Molinar were arrested and charged with one count of bringing in and harboring migrants. If convicted, they could face up to 10 years in prison.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.