There still are some patriots in the Department of Justice (DOJ).  Four criminals who aided illegal aliens to enter into the United States were convicted of crimes associated with such aid.  (H/T to reader Sonny G)  There are some issues with this case, but it appears to be leading up to future prosecutions for actual alien smuggling by political groups.

Four volunteers with a border-aid group were found guilty Friday in Tucson’s federal court of charges related to leaving food and water on a wildlife refuge.

The volunteers with Tucson-based No More Deaths left one-gallon jugs of water and cans of beans on the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in August 2017. At a trial this week in U.S. District Court in Tucson, federal prosecutors said the volunteers committed crimes by not obtaining a permit and driving on unauthorized roads. When the volunteers left the food and water on the refuge, they effectively abandoned property there in violation of refuge rules.

Natalie Hoffman was convicted of operating a motor vehicle in a wilderness area, according to an order from Magistrate Judge Bernardo P. Velasco on Friday. Hoffman and Oona Holcomb, Madeline Huse and Zaachila Orozco McCormick were convicted of entering a national wildlife refuge without a permit and abandoning property there. All of the charges were misdemeanors.

Magistrate Judge Bernardo P. Velasco found them guilty Friday of all charges. They face up to six months in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

Tucson Federal Judge Convicts 4 Border-Aid Volunteers, by Curt Prendergast, Arizona Daily Star, January 18, 2019

Convictions of any type are good news, though this news is not as good as it should have been.  None of these criminals were charged with what they were really doing, which was aiding aliens to enter the United States illegally, a violation of Title 8 United States Code Section 1324, Bringing In And Harboring Certain Aliens.  In this case those convicted of these related offenses above, leaving food and water for aliens, committed a violation of subsection (v)(I) and (II):

(v) (I) engages in any conspiracy to commit any of the preceding acts, or
(II) aids or abets the commission of any of the preceding acts,

The conspiracy, e.g. an agreement among two or more persons to commit an offense and to take an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy, was the agreement among the group of four to violate Section (iv):

(iv) encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law;

With the purchasing or gathering of food and water being one among many overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy.

While the first part of the ongoing prosecutions did not include a Title 8 violation, it appears that others will be specifically charged later, though not all involved in the greater conspiracy will be charged with a Title 8 violation.

Five other No More Deaths volunteers face misdemeanor charges related to providing humanitarian aid on the Cabeza Prieta refuge. Their trials are scheduled to start in the next few months.

Caitlin Deighan is accused of driving in a wilderness area in July 2017. She and Zoe Anderson, Logan Hollarsmith, and Rebecca Grossman-Richeimer are accused of entering a national wildlife refuge without a permit.

Scott Warren is accused of driving in a wilderness area in June 2017 and abandoning property there.

Warren also faces a felony human-smuggling charge after Border Patrol agents said he was harboring two illegal border crossers at an aid station in Ajo in January 2018.[Emphasis added]

So, out of nine people who have publicly admitted they are aiding illegal aliens to enter and remain in the United States and are members of an organization that publicly admits it aids illegal aliens, only one, Scott Warren, will be so charged. This is inadequate for sure.  It is part of the hobbling of the Border Patrol by both interior and exterior forces to the bureaucracy, something I addressed here:Border Patrol Jousting With Alien Smugglers, But Not Arresting The Coyotes,  June 20, 2017.

Though the prosecution of Scott Warren is a good thing, it is only a start.  A more aggressive United States Attorney than the current occupant, apparently an acting US Attorney, as on the website for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona has the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Elizabeth Strange, listed in the U.S. Attorney’s spot.  You can contact her here and encourage more aggressive prosecutions and discourage Deep State sabotage.