Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of Texas
Donald J. Gabrielle, Jr.
United States Attorney

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2007 (713) 567-9301
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/TXS

JURY CONVICTS TWO OF KIDNAPPING

[LAREDO] A federal jury has convicted Jose A. Garza-Robles, 18, and Hector Herrera-Sifuentes, 27, both permanent resident aliens from Mexico, of the kidnapping of a United States citizen in September 2006, United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced today.

After a five day trial and three hours of deliberation over the course of two days, a federal jury has returned its verdicts finding Garza-Robles and Herrera-Sifuentes guilty of conspiring to kidnap and kidnapping. Garza-Robles was also convicted of receiving ransom money. Both defendants face as punishment of any term of years up to life imprisonment for each of these convictions. Garza-Robles faces a maximum of 10 years for receiving ransom money. Both men are set to be sentenced on March 5, 2007. Both men have been in federal custody without bond since their arrest in September 2006, and will remain in federal custody pending sentencing.

The trial of Garza-Robles and Herrera-Sifuentes began on Monday, January 22, 2007 with testimony concluding on Friday, January 26. The jury began deliberations Friday and announced its verdicts this morning. During the trial, the United States presented testimony of the victim of the kidnapping, as well as federal agents and a forensic computer exploitation specialist of the National Drug Intelligence Center. Through these witnesses, the jury learned that in September 2006, Garza-Robles told the United States citizen victim to travel with him to Miguel Aleman, Tamaulipas, Mexico from Houston, Texas in order to work out an arrangement to pay a Mexican citizen called “Lalo” for a 650 pound load of marijuana the victim had purportedly lost in Houston, Texas. Once victim arrived at Lalo’s home in Miguel Aleman, he was told he was not free to leave until all of the money for the lost load of marijuana was paid. The victim was then held against his will by Lalo, Garza-Robles, Herrera-Sifuentes, and others as yet unknown. Meanwhile, the victim made calls to family members to raise money for his release.

After the family raised $57,500 in U.S. currency, less than the $110,500 amount originally demanded, Garza-Robles picked up the partial ransom payment from a family member in Roma, Texas, traveled back across the border to Miguel Aleman and delivered the ransom money to Lalo. While being held in Mexico, the victim was guarded by the two defendants and received numerous beatings.

Through the effrots of an NDIC computer exploitation specialist, the jury learned about the content of numerous cellular contacts between the defendants, the victim, and the victim’s family, all of which assisted in corroborating the victim’s version of events.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the National Drug Intelligence Center and tried by Assistant United States Attorney Roberto Ramirez.