Docs: ICE contracted employee busted for attempting to transport migrants in MVM bus

FALFURRIAS, Texas ( ValleyCentral ) — A woman contracted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement was arrested Friday for attempting to transport 39 immigrants past the Falfurrias checkpoint in a bus, federal records indicate.

Nancy Fernandez Luna, a government-contracted employee for MVM, a government-contracted transport company, is accused of coordinating a mass haul of immigrants past the checkpoint on Oct. 4

The white Prevost bus registered to All Valley Charters, LLC, was driven by Juan Torres Ayala with Fernandez and 39 immigrants aboard.

When they arrived at the Falfurrias Checkpoint, Fernandez told Border Patrol Agents she works for ICE and that she was escorting undocumented juveniles who were positive for COVID-19.

Fernandez provided agents at the checkpoint with her ICE personal identification verification contracting card to prove her authority. However, the bus was referred for a secondary inspection.

While agents were contacting the Centralized Processing Center to check the validity of the bus, the bus doors closed and it drove away. This caused a short pursuit and traffic stop. Once stopped, Torres was asked to return the bus to the secondary inspection spot.

Agents at the scene requested a manifest of the passengers, which stated all the immigrants were juveniles. However, law enforcement could see that they were not.

The driver of the bus stated he knew he was transporting illegal immigrants and that the manifest produced by Fernandez was fraudulent. Torres told authorities he was going to be paid $1,800 for the trip.

All of the immigrants admitted to law enforcement that they were present in the U.S. illegally, according to a criminal complaint obtained by ValleyCentral.

One of the immigrants told authorities she was smuggled into the country and asked to pay $20,000 before being housed at a McAllen stash house. From the stash house, she said she was given a hoodie and face mask to cover her face before boarding the government contracted bus.

Once on board the bus, multiple immigrants stated that Fernandez gave them signals to act asleep when she would flash a light in their direction. They also testified that Fernandez rearranged them on the bus from shortest to tallest to give the illusion that the tallest ones in the back appeared shorter.

Both Fernandez and Torres have been appointed attorneys in this case.

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