Former Alabama Guardsman Pleads Guilty to Migrant Smuggling at the U.S.-Mexico Border
Former Alabama National Guard soldier Derrick Sankey pleads guilty to smuggling migrants from the Mexican border into Texas. Sankey, who was recruited due to his knowledge of border enforcement, faces up to 10 years in prison.
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A former Alabama National Guard soldier, Derrick Terelle Sankey, pleaded guilty in federal court to smuggling migrants from the Mexican border into Texas. He admitted to transporting people who had entered the U.S. illegally from areas near the Rio Grande to locations further north in Texas, between March and September 2021.
Court documents reveal that Sankey was recruited by smugglers because of his experience working alongside Border Patrol agents. His role mainly involved scouting for law enforcement officers who might stop the vehicles transporting the migrants. He was paid based on the number of migrants transported.
Sankey was initially arrested in September 2021 after being caught delivering drugs to an undercover Homeland Security agent while wearing his National Guard uniform and driving a Border Patrol vehicle. Although he pleaded not guilty to drug charges, he faced an additional human smuggling charge last month. As part of a plea agreement, the drug charge was dropped.
Chief Judge Randy Crane accepted Sankey's guilty plea and allowed him to remain free on bond until his sentencing hearing on November 12. Sankey could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The Alabama National Guard confirmed that Sankey was serving on federal orders at the southwest border in 2021 when he was arrested. He left the Guard in July 2023 after nearly four years of service.
National Guard troops were initially sent to the southwest border in 2018 by former President Donald Trump, and President Joe Biden has continued this mission. The troops support Border Patrol agents by handling various non-enforcement tasks. There is also a state-sponsored border mission in Texas, launched in 2021, involving Texas National Guard and other state troops.
Sankey is not the only service member to face legal trouble while serving at the border. At least three other soldiers from the Texas and Louisiana National Guards and the active Army have been arrested on similar smuggling charges.
