News Releases and Statements

Orlando Andres Garcia, 24, of Mission, pleaded guilty to human smuggling resulting in death and conspiracy to harbor noncitizens within the United States on Feb. 3, and Nov. 29, 2022, respectively.

Jesus Ernesto Dessens-Romero, 27, of Agua Prieta, Mexico, is facing a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of his smuggling convictions and at least five years for bringing undocumented migrants into the country for profit.

Jesus Moises Ruiz Jr., 34, of Rio Rico, pleaded guilty Aug. 31 to one count of transportation of illegal aliens for profit.

An Israeli national pleaded guilty in a conspiracy to launder money and facilitate the illegal entry, harboring and transportation of noncitizens in the United States for the purpose of their employment following an investigation conducted by HSI Washington, D.C., the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General for the National Capital Region. Shai Cohen, 39, of Israel entered the guilty plea Nov. 7 at the U.S. District Court in Alexandria.

Destiney Rae Montoya, 22, of Phoenix, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit on Aug. 16. The offense includes a sentencing enhancement for being a coordinator.

Julio Garca IV, 22, was sentenced on Nov. 14 to 45 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court commented on how it was important to remember someone died.

Derek Wai Hung Tam Sing, 52, was sentenced by a federal judge Nov. 8 to 46 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Heriberto Mendez-Lozano, 25, of McAllen, was convicted Nov. 8 on all counts following a three-day trial.

Cecilio Yonatan Jimenez-Bautista, 27, of Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday. No relative or guardian accompanied the minor.

Sunshine Michelle Betters, 47, of Tucson, was sentenced to an additional 11 months imprisonment for violating her federal supervised release for a prior conviction for transportation of noncitizens.

Juwan James Davis, a 28-year-old resident of Houston, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to serve 25 years in federal prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

According to the indictment, Saul Parra, Patrick Orozco and Rafael Gamez-Ramirez, all from Tucson, began coordinating human smuggling activity around November 2021. Allegedly, Gamez-Ramirez coordinated with Orozco to purchase a parcel of land located in Bisbee to facilitate the transport of undocumented noncitizens into the United States.

Juan Manuel Tena, 40, of Pharr, and Julia Isairis Torres, 37, Israel Torres Jr., 34, and Jose Refugio Torres, 27, all of Roma, conspired to transport noncitizens from the Rio Grande Valley to destinations within the United States. As a result of that conspiracy, eight noncitizens were killed and two others seriously injured.

During a joint press conference Sept. 21 in Naples, authorities announced the launch of the Southwest Florida Inter-Agency Child Exploitation and Person Trafficking (SWFL INTERCEPT) Task Force. This task force is a unique public–private partnership where involved nonprofit organizations provide much-needed and hard to find resources.

Christian Martinez, 29, of Palestine, and his co-defendant, Homero Zamorano Jr., 47, of Elkhart — the tractor-trailer’s driver — were initially charged by indictment on July 20, 2022. Four other co-defendants were identified and charged in a superseding indictment on June 7, 2023: Riley Covarrubias-Ponce aka Rrili aka Rilay, 30; Felipe Orduna-Torres aka Cholo aka Chuequito/Chuekito aka Negro, 29; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal aka Cowboy, 38; and Armando Gonzales-Ortega aka El Don aka Don Gon, 54.

Thomas Taylor Charlton, a 60-year-old resident of Mission, was sentenced Sept. 26 in the Southern District of Texas to 51 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Charlton pleaded guilty to the charges on May 2.

Arrests included two confirmed human traffickers; a nurse at a major medical network in Dallas; four individuals with access to the secure area of DFW airport; four noncitizens with final orders of removal; one pending hire with a major city police department; and one prominent DFW city employee. 

Ten human traffickers were arrested during the operation, including four documented gang members and six gang associates. All 10 individuals were arrested pursuant to federal arrest warrants and are charged with various crimes such as sex trafficking of minors, sex trafficking of minors by force and conspiracy to sex traffic minors.

In March, Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, 61, was arrested in Mexico pursuant to a U.S. request for her extradition and surrendered to U.S. authorities on Sept. 5 to face charges previously filed in the District of Arizona and unsealed in March. She made her scheduled initial appearance in federal court Sept. 6 in Phoenix, Arizona.

According to court documents, from February through March 28, 2023, González Montañez, recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, advertised, maintained and patronized a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity for profit. González Montañez also employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced the same child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing and transmitting child sexual abuse material.

Wilmer Rivera-Hernandez pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to interstate travel with intent to engage in a sex act with a minor.

The knowledge shared provided a valuable opportunity for HSI, local leaders, law enforcement partners, and non-governmental stakeholders to ensure everyone has the same, up-to-date information concerning the indicators of human trafficking, how to appropriately respond to the crime, and how to best support its victims.

Fabian Alvarado was sentenced Aug. 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to 10 years in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release for human smuggling and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamines.

Francisco Javier Quintanilla-Alcocer, 39, and Brandon Cibriano-Gonzalez, 22, both Mexican citizens residing illegally in the United States, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez.

According to the HSI-led investigation, Ana Patricia Landaverde, 47, a citizen of El Salvador; Jeffrey Dean Vaughan, 64, of Williamsburg; George William Evans, 68, of Midlothian; and Salvador Jeronimo-Sis, a citizen of Guatemala, engaged in a conspiracy to harbor, transport and benefit from employing undocumented noncitizens at their commercial laundry business, Northstar Holdings of Virginia, LLC, d/b/a Magnolia Cleaning Services, LLC.