Friday, September 07, 2018

Edinburg Man Sentenced for Ramming BP Agent


McALLEN, Texas – A 24-year-old Edinburg resident has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions for alien smuggling and assaulting a federal agent, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Victor Eduardo Acevedo-Ventura pleaded guilty Dec. 28, 2017. 

Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez handed Acevedo-Ventura a sentence of 50 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Alvarez noted Acevedo-Ventura’s dangerous actions in ramming the Border Patrol (BP) agent’s vehicle and that this wasn’t his first time fleeing from law enforcement officers.

On Oct. 24, 2017, BP pulled over Acevedo-Ventura just south of the Falfurrias checkpoint. Authorities discovered he had just smuggled and dropped off six illegal aliens in order to bypass the checkpoint through the brush. Acevedo-Ventura initially complied with BP and pulled to the side of the road.

However, almost immediately thereafter, he fled at approximately 75 mph.  Three Border Patrol agents pursued him. Acevedo-Ventura then slammed the Expedition he was driving into the lead agent’s patrol vehicle twice, before spinning out of control and leaving both vehicles with substantial damage.

At the hearing today, the court stated how fortunate Acevedo-Ventura was that he didn’t severely injure the agent. Judge Alvarez noted that did not diminish the seriousness of his conduct.

Acevedo-Ventura had been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

BP and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Lindenmuth prosecuted the case.

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