SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah, Jan. 21, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A man is facing a charge of third-degree felony human smuggling after he allegedly transported undocumented immigrants through Utah.
A probable cause statement from the 3rd District Court of Summit County said Rolando Gomez-Gomez, 33, is also facing a charge of class A misdemeanor obstruction of justice — false information.
The arrest was made Saturday at approximately 9:30 p.m. A Task Force Officer with the Homeland Security Investigations Criminal Interdiction Team stopped a vehicle on Interstate 80 eastbound at mile marker 159 for traveling at 78 miles per hour in a 70 mile per hour zone.
“While following the vehicle, the TFO also observed the vehicle weaving in the lanes and then crossing over the center line,” the statement said. “Due to the traffic violation, the TFO conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle for the violation. Upon stopping the vehicle, the TFO noticed eight additional male passengers that looked like they were attempting to hide.”
During the traffic stop, the driver, later identified as Gomez-Gomez, presented the officer with a false identification card with the name Rolando Hernandez-Paxtor. Further investigation into the driver through the federal databases revealed Rolando’s true last name as Gomez-Gomez. The records check also revealed that Gomez-Gomez had been arrested several times for “alien smuggling.”
The officer asked Gomez-Gomez if he knew the occupants inside the vehicle and he stated that he did not.
Due to Gomez-Gomez’s criminal history of alien smuggling and his statements about not knowing the other occupants, the officer detained the suspect for further investigation.
Gomez-Gomez admitted to investigators after being read his Miranda rights that he has done multiple trips driving illegal aliens throughout the United States, the statement said.
“During the investigation, the occupants inside the vehicle admitted to paying Rolando with a undisclosed amount of U.S. currency to drive them to other states which included Lincoln, Nebraska and New Jersey,” the statement said. “During the interview with Rolando, he admitted to transporting the occupants for money.”
Gomez-Gomez was transported to Summit County Jail. His bail has been set at $6,950.
