MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Two Fort Hood soldiers have been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to transport undocumented migrants from McAllen to San Antonio.
On June 13, 2021, Emmanuel Oppongagyare, 22, and Ralph Gregory Saint-Joie, 19, attempted to pass through the Hebbronville Border Patrol Checkpoint while wearing their army-issued uniforms, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Texas.
When Border Patrol inspected the vehicle, they discovered two individuals hidden in the trunk who were determined to be in the country illegally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a media release.
The migrants and soldiers were taken into custody at the checkpoint.
Saint-Joie was identified as an active duty member of the U.S. Army, and Oppongagyare is from the Pennsylvania National Guard. At the time of arrest, both soldiers were stationed at Fort Hood.
On Aug. 11, 2021, Oppongagyare pleaded guilty and was issued 21 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña; Ralph Gregory Saint-Joie, 19, pleaded guilty the next day and received 13 months in federal prison, the release stated.
Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences.
“On June 13, I made one of the worst mistakes of my life,” Oppongagyare said at the hearing.
At the time of his plea, Oppongagyare admitted he met a person through Saint-Joie who recruited him to pick up the migrants from McAllen and drive them to San Antonio, authorities said. An investigation determined Isaiah Gore had hired the soldiers and instructed them to wear their uniforms to possibly avoid questioning, the release stated.
At the hearing, Oppongagyare and Saint-Joie said they expected to be paid once they arrived at the destination but did not know the exact amount.
According to the release, the two Mexican nationals hidden in the vehicle admitted to paying Oppongagyare and Saint-Joie a fee in exchange for passage into the United States.
Denerio Williams and Ivory Palmer were also involved in human smuggling, according to authorities. Gore, Williams and Palmer were indicted, pleaded guilty and later sentenced before U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo, the release stated.
Oppongagyare and Saint-Joie were permitted by the judge to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.