A motion hearing was held Wednesday for a man and a woman accused of aiding and abetting a scheme to smuggle large amounts of cash across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trinidad Conde Vela appeared before a judge Tuesday in connection with the money smuggling case that occurred in early May.
An affidavit obtained by ValleyCentral reveals that on May 2, federal agents conducted covert surveillance outside Conde Vela’s Brownsville residence.
Around 9 p.m., Conde Vela was seen leaving the residence in a Nissan Altima and driving toward R’s Super Station, located at 55 Kee St. He then returned to his residence, according to the affidavit.
Around 9:45 p.m. At 10:00 a.m., while undercover, agents observed two individuals, Angélica Rodríguez González and Alejandro Alonso Saucedo García, drive into the driveway of Conde Vela’s home in a red Fiat and remain there for a few minutes before driving away.
Agents began monitoring González and García’s vehicle until they attempted to travel into Mexico via the Brownsville-Matamoros International Bridge.
At the port of entry, agents discovered a total of $184,095 concealed in González and García’s vehicle. Initially, $30,000 was found around González’s waistband. The remainder was found hidden in the vehicle’s dashboard.
According to a criminal complaint, neither González nor García informed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that they were carrying cash above the $10,000 limit, a federal offense.
Both González and García admitted to collecting large amounts of cash hidden in a suitcase at Conde Vela’s residence before attempting to cross the port of entry.
Agents also found information on García’s phone suggesting he and Conde Vela were involved in smuggling large amounts of cash.
García admitted to receiving large amounts of money from Conde Vela on six previous occasions and further admitted that the money was being funneled into the hands of cartel accomplices.
Federal records indicate that Conde Vela and González’s defense team has no pending motions and that a plea is being prepared.
González has a follow-up conference scheduled for Friday. Conde Vela will appear in court again on July 24, and González is expected to appear on July 23.
Final preliminary hearings for Conde Vela and González are scheduled for July 29. Jury selection for their cases is scheduled for August 4.
Source: valleycentral
