United States v. Maria Vasquez

MEMORANDUM

Defendant-Appellant Maria Vasquez appeals the district court’s denials of her motion to suppress and motion to dismiss the indictment. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 , and we affirm in part and reverse in part.

On a weekday morning in southern California, a border patrol agent observed two Hispanic males get into a gray Ford Expedition and drive to an AutoZone parking lot. A gold Chevrolet Avalanche arrived a short time later and parked next to the Expedition. The male passenger from the Expedition exited the car to speak with the driver of the Avalanche and, subsequently, the driver of the Avalanche got into the rear seat of the Expedition. After the driver of the Avalanche returned to his car, two Hispanic females from the Avalanche, later identified as undocumented aliens, switched vehicles. The Expedition, with the two female passengers, left the AutoZone parking lot and drove to a cul-de-sac in a residential area.

At the cul-de-sac, the two women exited the Expedition and got into a blue Chevrolet Astro Minivan. The minivan drove to a Jack in the Box restaurant nearby, at which point the driver spoke to a man in a black truck. The minivan then left…