United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced the filing of a criminal complaint against 51-year-old Maria Lopez-Vega, a Mexican national, for allegedly being paid to transport undocumented aliens across the United States. If convicted, Lopez-Vega faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The complaint details that on February 3, 2025, a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper stopped an SUV driven by Lopez-Vega on Interstate-75 for a traffic violation. The vehicle contained five passengers, and Lopez-Vega presented a Mexican passport as identification. Suspecting she was unlawfully present in the U.S. and transporting undocumented aliens, the Trooper contacted U.S. Border Patrol agents.
Lopez-Vega admitted to being a citizen of Mexico without legal authorization to be in the U.S., and further investigation revealed that the five passengers—citizens of Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala—were also illegally present in the country. During questioning, Lopez-Vega confirmed that she had been paid to transport the passengers from Texas to Florida. Two passengers stated they had paid for assistance in crossing the Mexican border and being transported to Florida.
The case is being investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Florida Highway Patrol, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisibeth Adams prosecuting the case.
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