-from commonvoice.com-

By Jim Kouri

A ranking member of the violent Mexican Mafia gang was arrested near Laredo, TX, on Thursday by federal agents while he attempted to smuggle into the US 12 aliens hidden in the back of a tractor-trailer.

Jorge Antonio Espinoza, 40, from Laredo, was in federal court Friday morning where he was charged with attempting to transport illegal aliens into the United States. Espinoza was denied bond and is expected to remain in federal custody pending his next hearing scheduled for Aug. 4.

Customs and Border Protection inspectors discovered the smuggled aliens when Espinoza tried to pass through the checkpoint located near Interstate Highway 35 near Laredo. The aliens were found hidden in the back of the tractor-trailer during the secondary inspection process.

“Individuals who seek to threaten the safety of our communities, such as members of violent street gangs, will be sought out and brought to justice,” said Alonzo Pena, special agent-in-charge of Immigration’s Office of Investigations in San Antonio.

“Espinoza is a smuggler who has no regard for human life. He attempted to transport 12 people inside a refrigerated tractor-trailer where they could have suffered severe medical complications,” he said.

Espinoza is one of the captains of the “Mexican Mafia” that operates in Laredo. His criminal history ranges from possessing drugs to escaping from prison.

The immigrants discovered inside the trailer were citizens of Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. All 12 remain in custody pending the outcome of their immigration cases.

This arrest is the latest law enforcement action under Operation Community Shield, a nationwide ICE anti-gang initiative to disrupt, dismantle and assist in criminally prosecuting violent gangs by employing the full range of law enforcement authorities available.

Operation Community Shield was launched in February 2005 targeting MS-13 gang members, and was expanded in May 2005 to target all gangs.

An ICE assessment identified that most gang members were foreign-born, in the United States illegally, had prior criminal convictions, and/or were involved in crimes that made them subject to ICE’s extensive immigration and customs authorities.