An advanced notice that an undocumented immigrant smuggling operation would be happening at Boca Chica beach near the jetties in Cameron County led to the arrest and conviction of a 43-year-old Rio Hondo man.
Jerry Lynn Cochran Jr. told authorities he was being paid $600 for each undocumented immigrant he smuggled into the U.S., according to a federal criminal complaint.
Cochran appeared Monday before U.S. District Jude Fernando Rodriguez Jr., who sentenced him to 37 months in federal prison plus three years of supervised release. He was remanded to the custody of U.S. Marshals.
Court records indicate Cochran pleaded guilty March 8 to count two of a federal indictment charging him with undocumented immigrant smuggling for personnel gain.
According to the Jan. 22 federal criminal complaint, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, Marine Interdiction agents and the U.S. Coast Guard received information from Texas Department of Public Safety troopers about a future undocumented immigrant smuggling event that was going to take place in Boca Chica beach near the south jetties.
Nearly an hour after receiving that report, U.S. Coast Guard reported a suspicious red, older model SUV trying to launch a small vessel from the beach at Barracuda Cove, the federal criminal complaint stated.
“The area the Suburban was observed loitering has historically been used to smuggle undocumented non-citizens vial vessels onto South Padre Island,” the complaint said.
Some five hours later, the Suburban was seen leaving Barracuda Cove with two people. It left three others behind on the beach.
Authorities determined that three people left on the beach were people who did not have permission to be in the United States.
According to the federal criminal complaint, Cochran was the driver of the small vessel that was used to transport them. The SUV that had been used in the smuggling operation came back registered to Jerry Lynn Cochran.
When questioned by authorities, the three identified Cochran as their smuggler, the complaint stated.
During a post-Miranda interview Cochran said he knew he was picking up people without authorization to be in the U.S. and that he was transporting them for material gain.
“Cochran stated he was going to be paid $600 for each smuggled UNC he transported,” according to the federal complaint.
