Court Charges Man for Smuggling Illegal Immigrants
A man from Corpus Christi is facing charges related to the transportation of illegal immigrants after his arrest by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Port Mansfield, Texas, on October 6. The 28-year-old, identified as Alec Ray Foss, was apprehended following a stop of the speedboat he was driving, which carried three undocumented immigrants as well as an AR-style rifle, a pistol, and four pipe bombs.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas reported that Border Patrol agents acted on a tip from the Port Mansfield Police Department. This tip involved three individuals seen boarding the vessel after arriving in a nearby vehicle. Agents witnessed the boat departing the docks and heading north along the Intracoastal Waterway.
Documented evidence reveals that a law enforcement aircraft spotted the vessel approximately 20 miles south of Corpus Christi. Agents recognized it as a boat linked to Foss from prior investigations. Within hours of the initial alert about potential smuggling, they managed to locate the boat at Bluff Landing.
When agents approached Foss, he was attempting to retrieve the boat with a trailer. According to the complaint, as agents drew near, Foss disconnected the vessel, boarded it, and tried to start the engine. Agents intervened, instructing him not to start the boat, leading to his compliance and subsequent detention.
After being informed of his rights, Foss admitted there were three individuals on board. A subsequent search revealed three men hidden in the cabin and an under-seat compartment; they were later identified as being illegally present in the U.S. Agents also discovered a handgun, an AR-style rifle equipped with a loaded drum magazine, and four suspected pipe bombs aboard the vessel.
Foss indicated that he anticipated receiving $3,000 cash for each individual he transported to Houston. The three passengers included two Ecuadoran nationals and one Guatemalan, all of whom were in the U.S. illegally.
A detention memo indicated that Foss has a history of smuggling activities. Previously, in 2023, he had been arrested by the Zapata County Sheriff’s Department after being stopped in South Texas with three undocumented migrants hidden in his vehicle.
In addition to the alien trafficking charges, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is scrutinizing the pipe bombs found on the boat. The ATF executed a search warrant at Foss’s home on October 8, uncovering five firearms, 3,500 rounds of ammunition, and various bomb-making materials.
If convicted of transporting illegal aliens with known endangerment to life, Foss could face a sentence of up to 20 years.
