News Americas, SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Weds. Sept. 2, 2015: A Puerto Rico cop faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if she is found guilty of attempting to smuggle a Dominican friend from Antigua to Puerto Rico.
San Juan Police Department (SJPD) officer Luz Zoraida Rojas-Delgado, 32, was arrested recently on human smuggling charges following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) probe.
According to court records, Rojas-Delgado, established communication with an individual and requested assistance to smuggle a friend from Antigua to Puerto Rico.
The criminal complaint also alleges that she engaged in communications with other people in an attempt to make a deal for the venture but did not agree with the price of $3,000 established by the alleged smuggler.
The HSI investigation revealed that on Aug. 25, Rojas-Delgado agreed with an undercover agent, who she believed was a smuggler, to bring her Dominican friend from Antigua for $2,800.
HSI special agents arrested her at a local fast food restaurant after she met with an undercover agent to whom she paid $1,800. The criminal complaint further alleges that Rojas-Delgado stated that she was working on building a case against transporters to later turn it over to pertinent agencies.
HSI special agents were able to confirm with the SJPD that Rojas-Delgado was not working on any authorized operation at the time of her arrest.
Rojas-Delgado had her initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos Lopez and has been released on bail.
