Case-7:20-mj-00109 Document 15 Filed-on 02/11/20 in TXSD Page 1 of 2

-

FILED - 
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
202' for the I

 

 

 

 

David J. Bradley, Clerk 
United States of America 
V. -
.- Case - 2,
Juan Carlos TERAIN Arteaga 
. YOB: 1982 CITIZENSHIP: Mexico 
De?ndantfs)

CRIMINAL COMPLAINT

I, the complainant in this case, state that the following is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

 

 

 

On or about the date(s) of January ?15, 2020 in the county of Hidalgo 'in the
1 Southern - District of Texas the defendant(s) violated: 
Code Section . O?Ense Description
18 U.S.C. 554 I Knowingly and fraudulantly attempted to smuggle cigarettes from the United
States contrary to law. 
18 U.S.C. 2342 (a)lt shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to ship, transport, receive,

possess, sell, distribute, or purchase contraband cigarettes or contraband
smokeless tobacco. I . 

I(b)lt shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to make. any false statement or .
representation with respect to the information required by this chapter to be kept .
in the records of any person who ships, sells, or distributes any quantity of 
cigarettes in excess of 10,000 in a single transaction. -

This criminal complaint is based on these facts:

SEE ATTACHMENT 

I Complainant ?s signature 
@9me - 7 Matthew Shoemaker?US. HSI SpecialAqent
I Printed name and title

Sworn to before me and signed in my presence.

I Continued on the attached sheet.

 

   

 

Date: I 8/4Aa 

Judge ?3 signature

City 'and state: 'McAllen, Texas Honorable-Juan F. Alanis U.S. MagistrateJudge

Printed name and title

Case 7:20-mj-00109 Document 15 Filed on 02/11/20 in TXSD Page 2 of 2

Attachment A

On January 15, 2020, a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper, conducted a
traffic stop on tractor trailer that was observed committing a traf?c violation. During the
traf?c stop, the driver of the tractOr trailer, identi?ed as Luis Enrique VAZQUEZ De La
Cruz, presented DPS troopers with two separate bills of lading, one in English stating the .
cargo was used cloths, toys, and purses, the other in Spanish stating the cargo was bulk
cotton.

During a search, DPS troopers discovered cigarettes in the trailer, later estimated to be
approximately 16, 800, 000 foreign produced cigarettes.

After the discovery of the cigarettes, DPS troopers contacted Homeland Security
Investigations (HSI) 1n McAllen, Texas to request assistance with the illegal cigarette
smuggling investigation. .

Through investigative means, HSI SA determined that an individual named Juan Carlos

. TERAN Arteaga was involved in the smuggling of the cigarettes on January 15, 2020,

and an interagency database lookout was made for TERAN. TERAN was stopped at
Anzalduas Port of Entry by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) on February 10,2020, and

HSI SA responded to interview TERAN.

On February 10, 2020, an HSI Special Agent (SA) advised TERAN of his Miranda .
rights, TERAN stated he understood his rights and voluntarily waived them orally and in

- writing. TERAN made the following non- -verbatim statements that have been paraphrased
and may not be 1n the order in which he gave them

TERAN stated he had provided VAZQUEZ with the false bills of lading for the trailer
containing the contraband cigarettes. TERAN-stated that he knew the trailer contained .
contraband cigarettes and-that what he was doing was illegal. TERAN stated that he had
worked with VAZQUEZ to smuggle the cigarettes from the United States into Mexico.
TERAN stated after the cigarettes were seized, he had created additional false documents
in order to legitimize the cigarettes. -