ALPINE — On July 15, an Odessa woman who claims migrants overtook her vehicle while she was having sex pleaded not guilty to charges brought by a grand jury. The woman — Jackie Nichole Hall — and her partner, John Christopher Ramirez, were indicted on two counts of human smuggling-related crimes. Hall faces an additional charge for allegedly assaulting an on-duty Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officer.
Court records stated that just after dark on July 7, the Presidio Border Patrol station was alerted “via covert technology” of a red Kia sedan traveling back and forth on FM 170 just east of town. Border Patrol ran the plates, and pulled the vehicle over to perform an immigration inspection.
As the two vehicles crested onto the shoulder, the rear doors of the Kia opened and five individuals took off into the desert. The driver and the front seat passenger — Ramirez and Hall, respectively — were transported to the station for questioning.
Per court documents, Hall opted to make a statement after being read her Miranda rights. She said that she and Ramirez had come to Presidio from Odessa to spend quality time together, and that particular evening decided to take off into “Big Bend” to watch the sunset. Hall could not tell officers where exactly in the Big Bend she wanted to watch the sunset but said that they planned to “drive in a little ways and fool around.”
About an hour before being apprehended, the couple pulled over on FM 170, allegedly so they could start “fooling around.” When the agent asked about the risk of engaging in sexual activity on the side of the road, Hall said, “Sometimes people like a little danger.”
Hall then alleged that several people came out of nowhere, opened all the doors to the Kia, jumped in and told Ramirez to put the pedal to the metal. “Hall stated she and Ramirez were both in fear, so they adhered to the demands and drove the unknown subjects towards Presidio,” reads the original criminal complaint authored by HSI Special Agent Will Werner.
Ramirez’s story was much less steamy. He told officers that he and Hall had come from Presidio to smuggle undocumented migrants — a job they had successfully completed three times prior through the Alpine checkpoint. Ramirez denied any involvement with the smuggling operation beyond driving the vehicle but did say that Hall was being paid approximately $2,000 per migrant by an unknown third party in Mexico.
During Hall’s interview, an unnamed HSI agent asked for permission to look through her phone and found a recently-dialed contact saved as “Boss,” which she said was actually a nickname for a relative she kept in close touch with. She then grabbed the agent’s hand in an attempt to get her phone back and threw a “partially full” water bottle at him as she was being taken back to her holding cell.
Kevin Cayton, counsel for the United States, and Sandy Stewart, counsel for Hall, did not respond to requests for comment. Bart Medley, representing Ramirez, declined to comment on the ongoing case.
Smuggling charges like those brought against Hall and Ramirez can carry maximum penalties of 5 to 10 years imprisonment, depending on whether the crime was committed for “private financial gain.” Hall’s additional charge of assaulting a federal officer carries a maximum fine of $5,000 and three-year prison sentence.