TUCSON, Ariz. – On October 26, 2022, Warren Evan Jose, 38, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Decide Scott H. Rash to 440 months in jail. Jose beforehand pleaded responsible to Conspiracy to Transport Unlawful Aliens for Revenue with Endangerment Throughout which Dying Resulted, two counts of Assault on a Federal Officer with a Harmful Weapon, and two counts of Discharge of a Firearm Throughout a Crime of Violence.
On June 29, 2021, his co-defendant, Valentina Valenzuela, of Sells, Arizona, was sentenced by Decide Rash to 42 months in jail. She pleaded responsible to Conspiracy to Transport Unlawful Aliens for Revenue with Endangerment Throughout which Dying Resulted and two counts of Transporting an Unlawful Alien for Revenue with Endangerment Throughout which Dying Resulted. A 3rd co-conspirator, the decedent, died through the fee of the crimes.
Throughout Jose’s responsible plea, he admitted that on or about April 11, 2019, the three co-conspirators agreed to choose up two undocumented noncitizens at or close to Sells, Arizona and transport them to Phoenix. The three co-conspirators then picked up two undocumented noncitizens and deliberate to move them to Phoenix, in return for cost.
Whereas transporting the undocumented noncitizens, Jose, Valenzuela, and the decedent drank alcohol and used medicine. Brokers with Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) seen the automobile and activated their lights and sirens to cease the automobile. The decedent, who was driving, didn’t cease, and tried to flee by crashing the automobile into one of many agent’s automobiles.
Following the crash, Jose started firing on the federal brokers, utilizing a Century Arms, 7.62×39 pistol, an AK-47-style firearm. At his responsible plea listening to, Jose admitted that he knew they have been legislation enforcement brokers when he fired at them. The pictures fired by Jose grazed one HSI agent on the pinnacle and hit him on the shoulder. Jose barely missed hitting a second HSI agent within the head.
At his responsible plea listening to, Jose admitted that his use of medicine and alcohol and his firing of the AK-47-style pistol have been the proximate explanation for the decedent’s loss of life.
“This prolonged sentence serves as a testomony to HSI’s dedication, alongside our legislation enforcement companions, to deliver justice to a person for his vile try and kill the federal brokers who have been trying to thwart his criminality – criminality that brought on the loss of life of one other individual,” mentioned Scott Brown, particular agent in cost for HSI Phoenix. “The women and men of HSI won’t be deterred of their pursuit of those who use violence to additional their human smuggling schemes. This sentence means the defendant will spend almost the remainder of his life in jail for his actions. We will relaxation assured that he won’t current a menace to legislation enforcement, or the general public, ever once more.”
“Alien smuggling is a harmful enterprise underneath any circumstances,” mentioned United States Legal professional Gary Restaino. “It’s way more so right here, the place the defendant possessed an assault weapon through the smuggling crime, and used it towards legislation enforcement brokers.”
Homeland Safety Investigations, Sells, carried out the investigation on this case, with the help of the Phoenix Police Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Border Patrol, and the Tohono O’odham Police Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Serra M. Tsethlikai, Robert A. Fellrath, and Erica Seger, District of Arizona, Tucson, dealt with the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-1050-SHR-LCK
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-201_Jose, et al
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