Ahead of an arraignment, all three Starr County defendants allegedly involved in a human smuggling operation that used a government vehicle entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday.
Bernice Annette Garza, the former crime victims coordinator for the Starr County District Attorney’s office, Magali Rosa and her husband, Juan Antonio Charles, were arrested in early December after a traffic stop unraveled a scheme spanning back to June.
Though Garza and Rosa both spoke to investigators and offered details about the conspiracy that used the district attorney’s office vehicle to move people illegally present in the U.S. to Houston, according to the criminal complaint, an indictment was filed last week.
Though an arraignment was scheduled for Thursday, all three defendants waived their presence at the hearing and entered a not guilty plea
An arrest warrant was also issued for a fourth person, Mari Cruz Rosa, though its execution has not yet been filed.
All four are facing a conspiracy charge for moving people illegally present in the country, but only Garza, Charles and his wife are facing two other smuggling counts connected to the Dec. 7 incident.
The maximum penalty for the conspiracy count is 10 years and could include a fine of up to $250,000. The smuggling counts can carry a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
A jury trial was tentatively scheduled for February.
