A Mexican man living in southern Texas pleaded guilty to charges of using a pickup truck to assault U.S. Border Patrol agents as the man tried to evade capture for smuggling illegal aliens

Jose Alberto Izquierdo-Gonzalez, 26, an illegal alien from Mexico living in Laredo, Texas, entered the guilty plea in a federal court in the southern district of Texas on March 28, 2013. He faces a possible 30 year prison term on assault with a dangerous weapon and smuggling charges at sentencing, said the U.S. attorney’s office in south Texas. According to court records and testimony, Izquierdo was seen loading persons onto his Ford F-250 truck on January 8, 2013, near the Rancho Viejo Subdivision in Laredo. Agents saw the truck speed away from the riverbanks after Border Patrol vehicles approached. After a short pursuit through a residential area - during which the truck traveled on residential sidewalks and knocked down a stop sign - Izquierdo eventually lost control and came to a stop facing the agents’ vehicles. According to court records, with people still in the bed of the Ford F-150 pickup truck, Izquierdo rammed the Border Patrol vehicles, injuring one of the agents. He then sped away until he lost control again and crashed into a nearby ditch. The people in the truck bed managed to stay in the truck but were treated for injuries. Izquierdo was apprehended almost immediately after he bailed out his truck, leaving his passengers behind. Two of passengers were identified as aliens illegally in the United States who said that they had paid smugglers to get a ride from Izquierdo. Izquierdo remains in custody pending his sentencing hearing that has yet to be scheduled. At that time, he faces up to 20 years for using a dangerous weapon - the Ford F-250 in this case - to assault a federal officer. He also faces a maximum 10-year sentence on alien smuggling charges. Along with the prison time, both crimes also carry up to a possible $250,000 fine.