McALLEN — A Houston man has been convicted of smuggling immigrants through the Rio Grande Valley.

Juan de la Rosa, 27, was found guilty of picking up a group of illegals last year near the Rio Grande in Escobares and driving them until he was spotted by U.S. Border Patrol agents, the U.S. attorney's office said Wednesday in a news release.

When de la Rosa saw the agents, he ordered the group to exit the vehicle while it was moving, the release states. He then sped away, at one point driving through a school zone.

When agents questioned de la Rosa, he told them he was "only going to lunch in Rio Grande City," according to the news release.

De la Rosa has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since Dec. 18, the release states. He is to remain in custody pending a June 30 sentencing hearing at which he could receive up to 10 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $250,000.