Area builder nabbed in Las Cruces on charges of smuggling aliens.

Paul Robert Dilger, 56, owner of Oso Construction in Peralta, was arrested Friday at Las Cruces International Airport and charged with illegally transporting undocumented immigrants, the Las Cruces Sun-News is reporting in its online edition.

According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Las Cruces over the weekend, Dilger was flying the immigrants to visit a family member who works for his company near Los Lunas, the Sun-News reported.

Four of the five passengers Dilger is accused to try to rush on his plane at Las Cruces for a flight to Albuquerque were found to be in the United States illegally, according to the criminal complaint cited by the Sun-News.

And one of those passengers was identified as Victor Rodriguez-Guerrero, who was convicted in Grants for voluntary manslaughter and had been deported to Mexico in February, the paper reported.

Another passenger, Damien Alonzo Enriquez-Marquez, is currently facing a charge in New Mexico of aggravated assault on a peace officer, the Sun-News reported.

The criminal complaint said Dilger landed at the Las Cruces airport Friday afternoon and cut off a plane trying to take off, then rushed into the airport waiting room and came out with five people who boarded the plane with him, according to the paper.

An off-duty Border Patrol agent who is also a New Mexico National Guard pilot was at the airport when he heard of the unusual activity, called for backup and detained the five passengers and Dilger, according to the Sun-News report.

Dilger was jailed at the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he is facing a federal charge of transporting illegal aliens.

1:15pm UPDATE: The Associated Press story can be found here.

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