Mexican and Guatemalan nationals found in soldiers' vehicle.

Three West Texas soldiers are behind bars Wednesday, December 4, after border agents say they attempted to smuggle Mexican and Guatemalan nationals into the United States through the Texas-Mexico border late last month. The three men are now facing federal charges for harboring immigrants and assaulting a federal agent.

On November 27, a U.S. Border Patrol agent attempted to stop a vehicle carrying five passengers. However, the vehicle drove off and eventually struck another border patrol vehicle, injuring an agent inside, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of Texas.

One Mexican resident and two Guatemalan residents were in the vehicle with two soldiers from Fort Cavazos, which is located in Alpine, Texas. The three soldiers were identified as Emilio Mendoza Lopez, Angel Palma and Enrique Juaregui.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Mendoza Lopez was riding in the front passenger seat while Palma, who fled on foot and was detained later, drove the vehicle. Jauregui is accused of being the ring leader who recruited and facilitated the human smuggling operation.

Mendoza Lopez is charged with "bringing in and harboring illegal aliens" and had his first court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge David B. Fannin on December 2. The other two soldiers will go before a different federal judge on Friday, December 6.

Both of those men are facing felony counts of "harboring illegal aliens" and assault of a federal agent. The second charge stems from the driver hitting a border patrol agent, causing injury.

MySA reached out Fort Cavazos for an official statement on the arrest of their soldiers but did not hear back before publication time.