BRYAN, Texas (KXXV) — A 20-year-old man from Bryan was sentenced to over two years in federal prison for conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants.
According to court documents, a United States Border Patrol agent initiated a lawful immigration stop of an SUV on U.S. Route 377.
22-year-old driver Mark Anthony Sanchez Jr. and 20-year-old Alexzander JM Bisbee stopped the car and let three undocumented non-citizens exit and run into nearby brush.
"As the agent approached the vehicle, Sanchez quickly accelerated and fled from the immigration stop — the agent returned to his vehicle and gave pursuit before ultimately terminating the pursuit for safety reasons," the United States Attorneys Office said.
"Sanchez and Bisbee were later pulled over by the Sonora Police Department for speeding and ordered to exit the vehicle — a lawful search of the vehicle uncovered two 9mm semiautomatic pistols, including an AR-15–style pistol."
Agents later apprehended two of the undocumented non-citizens that were being transported.
"Bisbee admitted that an unindicted coconspirator contacted him on Instagram and offered to pay him to transport undocumented noncitizens and that he would be paid $2,000 per person," officials said.
"Bisbee was a convicted felon at the time of the offense, having previously been convicted of burglary of a building."
Bisbee and Sanchez both pleaded guilty — Sanchez's sentence hearing is scheduled for May 13.