McALLEN — A U.S. citizen living in Reynosa accused of attempting to smuggle her boyfriend through a port of entry will remain in federal custody after a judge denied her bond.
Michelle Lizeth Sanchez stood before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter E. Ormsby on Friday for a detention hearing.
The hearing came four days after she was arrested along with her boyfriend at the Donna-Rio Bravo International Bridge, court records show.
On March 26, Sanchez, 21, originally of Pasadena, Texas, living in Reynosa, was attempting to cross into the United States from Mexico when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers referred her for a secondary inspection.
During the subsequent inspection, CBP officers discovered Oscar Ulises Delgadillo-Garza located in the trunk of her vehicle.
Delgadillo-Garza, 26, does not have legal status to be in the country, and was previously convicted of a felony and deported.
Sanchez told authorities she knew Delgadillo-Garza was undocumented and a convicted felon because he was her boyfriend, the criminal complaint states. It does not state how long she was involved with him.
“ The defendant admitted that she knowingly attempted to smuggle Delgadillo-Garza into the United States in the trunk of her car,” the complaint states.
It does not appear Delgadillo-Garza made any statements during the arrest.
At the hearing, Sanchez waived her preliminary examination hearing, but the court found there to be enough probable cause to move forward with the charge against her.
The court noted Sanchez, who is a U.S. citizen and has lived in the country for most of her life, most recently was living in Mexico with family.
Sanchez is also a first-time offender, and has no prior criminal history, the court stated.
Her attorney is scheduled to depose Delgadillo-Garza the week of April 2.
Sanchez will remain in custody pending her trial on one count of bringing in and harboring certain aliens, court records show.
This report was updated to reflect that the woman lives in Reynosa.
