⏱ 2 min read
Joel Contreras Jr., a 33-year-old Alabama man, was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison for his leadership role in a transnational alien smuggling organization operating in the US and Mexico.
Contreras, a member of the Guzman Transnational Criminal Organization, worked directly with the Cartel De Jalisco Nueva Generacion, smuggling guns, drugs, and people across the border.
On May 9, 2022, Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers stopped Contreras’s vehicle after noticing signs of concealed human cargo. Inside, they found 2 illegal aliens hidden under a blanket in the second row and another in the rear hatch.
Contreras was to be paid $500 per alien, who he picked up at an Eagle Pass gas station and transported to Houston or San Antonio.
After his initial arrest, Contreras was charged with smuggling of persons with a likelihood of serious bodily injury or death, but the charges were later dismissed.
Related Federal Cases
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- Juan Arrazolo, Transporting Illegal Aliens, Minnesota 2012 · Alabama
- Sandra Lee Bart, Visa Exploitation, Ohio 2024 · Washington
- Larry Lavish Lewis, Sex Trafficking, Texas 2023 · Washington
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Human Trafficking
- Defendant: Texas
- Location: TX
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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