A Los Angeles police officer accused with his girlfriend of trying to sneak a Mexican national into the United States in the trunk of a car pleaded not guilty Thursday to a human smuggling charge.
Carlos Curiel Quezada Jr., 34, and 31-year-old Angelica Godinez were indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury in San Diego.
Quezada was arraigned today in San Diego before U.S. Magistrate Judge William Gallo, who set bail at $20,000. The judge ordered Quezada to return to court June 12 for a motion and trial-setting hearing. Quezada’s attorney said his client is on paid administrative leave with the LAPD.
Godinez is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.
According to the indictment, Quezada drove his 2014 Nissan Juke into the Otay Mesa Port of Entry with Godinez riding alongside him about 6:30 p.m. March 14.
Though the couple stated that they had nothing to declare, a Customs and Border Protection agent decided to refer them for a vehicle inspection, the indictment alleges.
Using an imaging device similar to an X-ray, officers found an undocumented immigrant, 26-year-old Antanasio Perez Avalos, hiding in a rear compartment of the vehicle, the indictment states.
Quezada and Godinez, both Los Angeles residents, each face a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
— City News Service