A former National Guardsman who served in the Rio Grande Valley admitted to being a scout for human smuggling, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani.

Alabama native, 24-year-old Derrick Terelle Sankey, was serving under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security in the Rio Grande Valley in 2021, the news release stated.

Hamdani said from March to September 2021, conspirators recruited Sankey into an existing human smuggling group, in which he would provide "insight into counter-smuggling activities." He also scouted for vehicles he knew contained migrants who were illegally present in the United States in order to prevent law enforcement from detecting them.

As part of a plea, Sankey admitted to providing law enforcement information to a human smuggling organization, according to Hamdani. Sankey also worked as a scout when loads of migrants would move from Starr and Hidalgo counties to the Border Patrol checkpoint in Jim Wells County.

Sankey is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 12. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible maximum fine of $250,000.

He was permitted to remain on bond pending his hearing.