HSI Laredo, local partner investigation results in a significant sentencing of 2 kidnappers for holding several people hostage

LAREDO, Texas – Two men received significant prison sentences on Wednesday following their convictions of kidnapping and holding four victims for ransom; this following an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) along with Laredo Police Department.

Jesus Ochoa, 27, from Laredo, was sentenced Sept. 28 by a federal judge to serve 186 months in federal prison while Luis Armando Garcia, 29, illegally residing in Laredo, was sentenced to 192 months in prison. Garcia is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence. At the hearing, the court heard from four victims who described what the two men put them through and the psychological impact the kidnapping had on them. In handing down the prison terms, the judge noted the violent nature of the offense and the defendants’ general lack of respect for the lives of others. Ochoa pleaded guilty March 2, while Garcia pleaded guilty Feb. 28.

According to court documents, on Nov. 19, 2020, Ochoa and Garcia encountered four individuals who crossed the Rio Grande in Laredo and offered them a ride to San Antonio in exchange for payment. They traveled to Garcia’s residence in Laredo, but actually told the group they were in San Antonio. They then forced all four individuals to call their family members and ask them to send $4,000 each for their release. They held the group hostage at the residence for three days. During that time, they threatened each person with a firearm and repeatedly forced them to record videos and voice messages, make video calls, send text messages, and call family members to beg for ransom money. On several occasions, Ochoa and Garcia directly spoke to the family members and told them if payment was not made, something would happen to the hostages. Ultimately, family members contacted authorities who were able to obtain the general location from where the phone calls originated. After noticing law enforcement, Ochoa and Garcia loaded the group back into a vehicle and transported them to an industrial park in Laredo. They dropped off the group and said they would return later. The victims were able to borrow a phone from a nearby truck driver and called for help. Authorities found all four individuals and transported them to safety.

Both remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted the case.

HSI San Antonio continues to address the serious public safety threat posed by human smuggling organizations and their reckless disregard for the health and safety of the people they exploit. To report suspicious smuggling activity, you are urged to call 1-866-348-2423.

HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 6,800 special agents assigned to 225 cities throughout the United States, and 86 overseas locations in 55 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.