A Los Angeles police officer and his girlfriend were indicted in federal court Wednesday for attempting to smuggle a Mexican citizen into the U.S.:
Officer Carlos Curiel Quezada, Jr., 34, and his girlfriend, Angelica Godinez, 31, both of Los Angeles, were indicted Wednesday on one count of Bringing in Illegal Aliens without Presentation, according to the Department of Justice. Quezada is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday, while Godinez is set to be arraigned May 12.
According to court documents, Quezada drove his 2014 Nissan Juke with Godinez in the passenger seat through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry on March 14 at about 6:30 p.m. and told a Customs and Border Protection office they had nothing to declare. The couple was referred for a more intensive inspection, during which officer detected something unusual in the rear cargo area.
Antanasio Perez Avalos, a 26-year-old Mexican national, was found in the compartment in the spare-tire area, federal officials said. All three were taken into custody and interviewed.
If convicted, Quezada and Godinez face 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
