Baylee Bret Lugo, Human Smuggling, Texas 2020

McALLEN, Texas - Two men from Pharr have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. Baylee Bret Lugo, 21, and Florentino Trevino II, 27, pleaded guilty to their involvement in the crime.

According to the court, Lugo and Trevino were responsible for involuntarily detaining, threatening, and brandishing a firearm at four undocumented aliens at a hotel in Pharr during the course of the conspiracy on July 9, 2020. The court found them responsible for the crime.

The court sentenced Lugo to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Trevino was ordered to serve 33 months in prison, also with three years of supervised release. Jesus Ricardo Garcia-Suarez, 48, a Mexican citizen who illegally resided in Mission, had previously been sentenced to 18 months for his role in the offense.

Garcia-Suarez had harbored four undocumented aliens at a residence in Mission from June 26 to July 9, 2020. He then transported them to Trevino, who was waiting at a local grocery store. Trevino subsequently drove the undocumented aliens to the Pharr hotel he had rented, where he and Lugo held them against their will. During that time, Lugo brandished a firearm at them, confiscated their cell phones and money, and demanded additional payment for their release.

One of the undocumented aliens managed to escape and flagged down a bystander for help. Law enforcement responded to the hotel where they found Lugo and the others, as well as a firearm hidden in the room. Authorities subsequently arrested Trevino as he was attempting to drive away from the hotel.

Lugo and Trevino have been and will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals pending a transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol, and Pharr Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid prosecuting the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/human-smugglers-sentenced-after-harboring-and-threatening-individuals-gun