According to official records obtained by El Tejano, the following details come from criminal complaint documents filed in Starr County.
Juan Gilberto Rodriguez, 27, is charged with Smuggling of Persons. That is a 3rd Degree Felony. It means 2 to 10 years in prison.
On June 5, 2026, Operation Exit Intercept was active in Starr County. U.S. Border Patrol and the Starr County Brush Team ran it. The goal: stop human smuggling.
That night, two cars caught the eye of troopers. One was a black Chrysler 300. The other was a blue Nissan Kick with Tamaulipas plates.
A chase followed.
When it ended, deputies found Rodriguez in the Chrysler. He was a rider, not the driver. His cousin, Eliud Cobos, 30, drove.
A third man, Daniel Rios, 22, helped set the whole thing up.
Federal agents looked at the case. They passed. Rodriguez was charged by the state.
Deputies took him to Starr County Jail.
Trooper Axel Martinez filed the case. It is part of Operation Lone Star. That is a Texas border crime mission.
The case is in Starr County. El Tejano will follow it.
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