Vermont Border Patrol agents thwart 15-person human smuggling attempt

The U.S. Border Patrol, in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney Office for the District of Vermont, recently announced criminal charges for three individuals connected to a 15-person human smuggling attempt in Derby, Vermont.

Hector Ramon Perez-Alvarado, a 25-year old Honduran citizen, was charged with transporting undocumented immigrants inside the United States. Two other individuals, Noe Perez-Ramirez and Alberto Alvarado-Castro, both citizens of Mexico, were charged with illegal re-entry to the United States after both had been removed on previous occasions.

The incident began on Oct. 7 as Border Patrol agents observed a Nissan van with a license plate not affiliated with any state making multiple trips from Beebe Road, which sits near the Canadian border, to the Four Seasons Motel in Derby.

Another group of Border Patrol officers later spotted a number of male subjects on foot heading south from the international border area, which indicated a possible smuggling attempt.

A day later, agents pulled the van over in order to question Perez-Alvarado, who was driving the vehicle at the time. A routine information search revealed that the driver, nor any of the van’s six occupants, had legal status within the United States.

After Perez-Alvarado presented agents with his key to his room at the Four Seasons Motel, the agents discovered nine additional individuals in the room, none of whom had legal status in the United States.

All three individuals involved in the incident were detained and remanded to the U.S. Marshals Service. The case is still currently under investigation by Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.

“This case is an excellent example of the dedication and hard work put forth by Border Patrol agents to keep our country and communities safe,” Border Patrol-Swanton Sector Chief Patrol Agent John Pfeifer said. “Our agents did an outstanding job thwarting this smuggling attempt.”