PHX Reporter

The U.S. District Attorney for Arizona announced that Dinero Devon Washington, 46, of Phoenix, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty on Sept. 7, 2023 to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens.

U.S. Border Patrol agents witnessed Washington and his alleged co-conspirator, Alina Pablo, drive to the fixed Border Patrol checkpoint in Ajo, Ariz., in Pima County, in a Ford F-150 on April 16, 2021. The agents said there were five other passengers in the vehicle, all of whom were wearing camouflaged clothing with backpacks. 

The passengers had “carpeting on their shoes, indicators of having recently crossed the border between Mexico and the United States, reported the U.S. District Attorney’s Office.

Questioning by the agents confirmed that the passengers were all illegal aliens and nationals of Mexico or Guatemala. They had recently been picked up and transported by Washington and Pablo.

“Detailed evidence of the planning and logistics of the smuggling effort, including pin drops, amps, and text messages,”were found on Washington’s cell phone.

Washington prison sentence will be followed by 36 months of supervised release. Pablo also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced later this year.=

U.S. Border Patrol, a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for safeguarding the nation's borders and preventing illegal entry of people and contraband. Established in 1924, it operates in 328 ports of entry and protects 7,000 miles of land borders and 95,000 miles of maritime borders.

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona is Gary M. Restaino, who has worked in the role since 2021. He previously worked as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives from April 25 to July 13, 2022. Restaino attended Haverford College and received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School.

The U.S. Border Patrol, a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for safeguarding the nation's borders and preventing illegal entry of people and contraband. Established in 1924, it operates in 328 ports of entry and protects 7,000 miles of land borders and 95,000 miles of maritime borders.