Carroll & Hernandez Sentenced

Human smuggling has once again reared its ugly head in the state of Texas, with two Houston residents, Richard Dell Carroll II, 26, and Josue Isaac Hernandez aka Dre, 23, being sentenced to federal prison for their role in recruiting drivers to smuggle illegal aliens.

According to the U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, Carroll and Hernandez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens on May 28 and April 3, respectively. The two men worked together to recruit drivers from around the country to smuggle illegal aliens to Houston in exchange for money, using social media platforms like Instagram to lure in potential drivers.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales imposed a 66-month term of imprisonment for both men, to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. During the hearing, the court heard how Carroll lied about his background, falsely claiming to be employed by Tesla and enrolled at Rice University. Evidence showed that Carroll portrayed himself as an entrepreneur and financial adviser to those he recruited, offering to invest their illegal proceeds despite having no qualifications.

Judge Morales told Carroll that he needed to focus on his integrity in the future and that he should not embellish things in person or online because when people believe it, it could lead to fraud. Meanwhile, Hernandez had used his illegal gains to fund a lavish lifestyle that included international trips and private jets.

The court also heard testimony detailing the inhumane conditions the smuggled aliens faced. In one instance, a seven-year-old girl was sweating inside a plastic bin after being separated from her mother. In another, authorities discovered two young women hidden in a fake speaker box in a trunk which reached temperatures of 102.4 degrees. Law enforcement had apprehended more than 100 aliens during at least 53 failed smuggling attempts that could be definitively linked to Carroll and Hernandez.

The investigation, conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of Border Patrol, revealed that Hernandez and Carroll were the coordinators of the smuggling operation. They recruited drivers through social media platforms and charged them $1,000 per alien to recover costs. The investigation began in December 2022, after authorities repeatedly encountered illegal aliens hidden in fake speaker boxes inside car trunks and in large plastic totes concealed with sheets.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Pena prosecuted the case, which has now resulted in the sentencing of Carroll and Hernandez. The two men will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. This case serves as a reminder of the harsh realities of human smuggling and the importance of law enforcement efforts to combat this crime.