Sentencing for Six Involved in Human Trafficking Ring

Six people were sentenced Thursday, May 24, for their roles in a conspiracy to harbor and transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas, and Robert Rutt, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston.

On May 24, the following co-conspirators were sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack: Petronilo Sanchez-Jimenez, 42, Norma Leticia Silva-Garcia, aka Norma Sanchez and Norma Rocha, 38, and Sandro Alvarez-Maldonado, 35, all from Edinburg, Texas; Oscar Garza-Perales, 28, from Wharton, Texas; and Tracy Howard, 47, and Christian Russo, 39, both from Houston.

Sanchez-Jimenez, who smuggled illegal aliens across the border and harbored them in stash houses located in the Rio Grande Valley, was sentenced to 87 months in prison. Silva-Garcia and Alvarez-Maldonado assisted Sanchez-Jimenez in harboring illegal aliens. Both received 67 and 51 months in prison, respectively. Howard and Russo, who began the smuggling operation by transporting aliens themselves, later recruited drivers for the organization. They were sentenced to respective sentences of 87 and 78 months in prison. Garza-Perales also recruited drivers and was sentenced to 71 months. The remaining 23 co-conspirators identified in this investigation are scheduled to be sentenced later this year.

The leader of the conspiracy — Armando Olmedo-Trevino, 47, of Wharton, Texas — is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 16. According to his guilty plea, he and others engaged in a conspiracy to harbor and transport illegal aliens from Aug. 9, 2002, until his arrest Jan. 27. He began transporting aliens himself. He was caught transporting aliens on at least two occasions. Afterward, he became the leader, running the operation from his Wharton home.

With the exception of aliens smuggled across ranches in the Falfurrias, Texas, area, illegal aliens were picked up in the Edinburg area and transported north through a border patrol checkpoint in Falfurrias or Sarita, Texas. In most cases, no more than five illegal aliens were transported, hidden under blankets or luggage in between the seats of an SUV or minivan. However, in a few instances, illegal aliens were transported in other ways, such as in the trunk of a car. In June 2011, Olmedo and others modified a trailer with a false compartment that was intended to conceal up to 15 illegal aliens.

Over the course of the 10-year conspiracy, HSI special agents seized about 400 aliens being transported by the organization. The organization transported an estimated 40 aliens per month.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad W. Cowan and Jeffrey D. Preston, Southern District of Texas, are prosecuting this case.

9 Enter Guilty Plea for Taking Hostages and Harboring in Human Smuggling Operation

Two men pleaded guilty on Friday, March 2, to conspiracy to commit hostage taking, while seven others entered guilty pleas to conspiring to harbor illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Mission Police Department.

After receiving a ransom demand on Sept. 20, 2011, the relative of an illegal alien contacted law enforcement authorities the next day. The investigation led authorities to an area around Moorefield Road in Mission, Texas, where surveillance was initiated. Afterwards, three men were discovered in the vicinity, two of whom were later apprehended: Juan De Dios Cedillo-Narvaez, 30, and Luis Fernando Cedillo-Narvaez, 43, both Mexican citizens. At that time, the cell phone used to make the ransom calls was found in the possession of Cedillo-Narvaez who admitted that aliens were being held in a nearby apartment.

Consent was given to search the apartment by its renter, Martha Guadalupe Quiroga, 32, also a Mexican citizen. At the apartment, HSI special agents discovered 18 illegal aliens being held hostage; they were from Ecuador, Guatemala and Honduras. The victims stated they had been kidnapped from another location and forced to call their families and ask for money or they were going to be injured or something bad would happen to them.

The investigation by HSI and the Mission Police Department led to the identification and arrest of the following seven other suspects: Pablo Zepeda-Lechuga, 41, Balatazar Arcos-Torres, 35, and Jose Luis Lopez-Villanueva, 28, all citizens of Mexico illegally present in the United States; and Jose Angel Lopez, 21, Ricardo Lopez, 19, Osvaldo Ivan Rodriguez, 22, and Sarai Torres-Hernandez, 25, all U.S. citizens.

Juan De Dios Cedillo-Narvaez and Luis Fernando Cedillo-Narvaez were responsible for guarding the aliens at the stash house and having them call their families for ransom money in addition to organizing the hostage-taking operation. Quiroga provided her apartment to harbor the victims and also provided food and water to them. Rodriguez and Torres-Hernandez collected the ransom and smuggling fees from different Western Union locations. Zepeda-Lechuga, Lopez-Villanueva, Arcos-Torres and Ricardo Lopez took the victims from their original location and transported them to the stash house where they were ultimately held for ransom.

On Mar. 2, Juan De Dios Cedillo-Narvaez and Luis Fernando Cedillo-Narvaez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit hostage taking before U.S. District Judge Randy Crane. Sentencing is scheduled for May 16, at which time they face up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. Quiroga, Zepeda-Lechuga, Lopez-Villanueva, Arcos-Torres, Ricardo Lopez, Rodriguez and Torres-Hernandez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens and face a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. They are also set for sentencing on May 16.

The case against Jose Angel Lopez is still pending. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit hostage taking and conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. He is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.

Assistant U. S. Attorneys Patricia A. Rigney, Kristen Rees and Jimmy Leo, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted the case.