Mexican Man Charged With Smuggling Illegal Immigrants Across Northern Border
Monday, April 21, 2025, 4:35 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
BURLINGTON, VT.- A 28-year-old Sonora, Mexico man is facing up to 10 years in federal prison after being charged in connection with smuggling two illegal immigrants across the U.S. Canadian Border in Berkshire, Vermont.
On Thursday, April 17, 2025, a Federal Grand Jury for the District of Vermont returned an indictment charging Benjamin Gutierrez-Morales, 28, of Sonora, Mexico with Illegally Bringing Aliens into the United States. Gutierrez-Morales made his initial appearance today in Federal Court in Burlington, Vermont and will remain in federal custody pending trial, after pleading not guilty to the charge.
According To The U.S. Attorney’s Office
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher and charging information unsealed in the indictment, on April 5, 2025, Gutierrez-Morales met two aliens north of the United States-Canada International border. After meeting the aliens, he led the two of them on foot south across the border. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents apprehended all three aliens near Lost Nation Road in Berkshire, Vermont.
The two aliens who Gutierrez-Morales brought to the United States. On April 7, 2025, both pleaded guilty to illegally entering the United States and are awaiting deportation proceedings.
If convicted at trial, Gutierrez-Morales faces up to 10 years in federal prison, and a $250,000 fine. At sentencing, upon a finding of guilt, a U.S. District Court Judge will determine the term of imprisonment based on the seriousness of the offense and Gutierrez-Morales’s prior criminal history, if any.
“The rules of the federal court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”