Jun. 7—GRAND FORKS — A Georgia man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants on Wednesday, June 7, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Rodolfo Arzola-Carrillo

was arrested in November

after he was found with a group of suspected illegal immigrants in northeast North Dakota.

According to an affidavit in the case, the Pembina County Sheriff's Office received a call early Thursday morning, Nov. 17. The caller, Ernesto Falcon Jr., said his vehicle was stuck near the intersection of County Road 55 and 138th Avenue.

The group of nine was suspected of a smuggling attempt, and later five adults admitted they were in the U.S. illegally, the affidavit said. They said Arzola-Carrillo and Falcon guided them across the U.S.-Canada border.

Falcon told law enforcement Arzola-Carrillo asked him if he'd be interested in smuggling groups into the U.S., and he eventually agreed due to financial difficulties he'd been facing, the affidavit said.

Arzola-Carrillo was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Wednesday, June 7. He has credit for time served. The court recommended he be placed as close to Tifton, Georgia, as possible because that's where his family is located.

After serving his sentence, Arzola-Carrillo will be on supervised release for one year.

Falcon's plea and sentencing are scheduled for August.