Dallas woman allegedly tried to smuggle 9-year-old twins from Mexico under blanket
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection patch is displayed on the arm of an officer on September 28, 2024. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
DALLAS - A 31-year-old Dallas woman has been charged with smuggling 9-year-old twins into the United States from Mexico, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Smuggling twins from Mexico
What we know:
According to court documents, on Oct. 26, 2024, Jovanna Netzay Diaz arrived at the Border Patrol checkpoint in Laredo. Upon initial inspection, authorities allegedly observed a blanket moving between the second and third rows of the vehicle.
Law enforcement found one minor underneath the blanket and another hidden on the floorboard of the vehicle’s front passenger seat, according to the charges.
The minors were determined to be nine-year-old twins, who are Mexican nationals. The twins had no familial connection to Diaz.
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Fort Worth woman sentenced for smuggling minors from Mexico
A 36-year-old Fort Worth woman has been sentenced to federal prison for trying to smuggle two Mexican children from Mexico into the United States. She was trying to take them to their mother in Fort Worth, according to what she told officers at the border.
What we don't know:
The U.S. Attorney's Office and the federal court documents do not say if Diaz was arrested on Oct. 26, or what happened to the twins at that time.
Court Proceedings
An arrest warrant for Diaz was issued on Feb. 19 and was executed on Feb. 27. She was arrested in Irving, according to federal court documents. Her mugshot was not available, according to Dallas County officials.
The Indictment:
A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment on Feb. 19, which was unsealed upon her arrest Feb. 27. She is officially charged with conspiring to transport, attempting to transport and transporting two undocumented minors illegally in the United States for financial gain.
If convicted, Diaz faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 maximum possible fine.
What's next:
Diaz is expected to make her initial appearance for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver in Dallas on March 5 at 10 a.m. She will then be expected in Laredo federal court shortly thereafter.
The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas and federal court documents.