Reported / Citable
Background
Carlos Christian Zamudio-Mata was charged in an indictment in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. The defendant waived his right to appear before the district judge and instead appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell for the taking of a felony plea and allocution proceedings under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11.
The Court’s Holding
District Judge Robert Pitman, reviewing the Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation filed June 22, 2026, accepted Zamudio-Mata’s guilty plea to Count 1 of the Indictment. Finding no opposition from the defendant to the recommendation and determining the plea proceedings were conducted in compliance with Rule 11, the court entered an order accepting the plea of guilty.
Key Takeaways
- Defendant’s guilty plea to Count 1 accepted by the district court
- Magistrate judge conducted Rule 11 allocution ensuring knowing and voluntary plea
- Procedural requirements satisfied for felony plea acceptance
Why It Matters
This order reflects routine acceptance of a guilty plea following proper Rule 11 procedures. The case proceeded efficiently through magistrate judge proceedings, with the defendant electing to forgo appearance before the district judge while preserving the court’s ultimate authority to accept or reject the plea.