It’s not clear whether the suspect was bragging to Border Patrol or whether he was just providing them with an alleged full confession of his 15 years as a smuggler, but Armando Mendoza-Montejano claimed he has smuggled more than 1,000 people into the country, according to a criminal complaint against him.
The circumstances leading to his arrest began on Sept. 8 after Border Patrol agents received information that a brown mobile home in Mission was being used as a stash house.
The agents also received information that Mendoza, who is in the country illegally, was the suspected caretaker of the stash house.
When Mendoza left the home in a white Nissan Titan, Border Patrol asked Alton police to conduct a vehicle stop for fictitious license plates, according to the complaint.
Border Patrol found two people in the country illegally within the vehicle.
After being read his Miranda Rights, Mendoza “stated he has been smuggling undocumented aliens for about fifteen (15) years, totaling over one thousand (1000) undocumented aliens,” according to the complaint.
Border Patrol said he provided agents consent to search the brown Mission mobile home where authorities found three more people in the country illegally.
During an interview, Mendoza said he had been living in the mobile home for about two weeks.
“Mendoza indicated he got paid approximately $2,500 and $2,000 from each one to pay it to the smugglers in Mexico,” the complaint stated.
Mendoza claimed he earned $300 to $400 per person.
“Mendoza added he would harbor them at whatever location he was living at the time,” the complaint stated.
If his claims are true, his alleged smuggling activity has spanned the administrations of presidents Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
