McALLEN, Texas – In a shocking turn of events, the leader of a notorious human smuggling operation and five other members have faced justice for their crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The six defendants, Saul Torres-Martinez, aka Cobra, 42, of Houston; Ernesto Mata Pioquinto, 32, of Mexico; Marcelino Navarro Sanchez, 31, of Mexico; Robert Hernandez, 26, of Fresno; Noemi Silva, 39, of Wimauma, Florida; and Luis Esteban Martinez, 41, of Alamo, had pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle undocumented individuals on July 6, 2021.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane handed down the sentences, with Torres-Martinez, the leader of the smuggling operation, receiving a 110-month term. Pioquinto and Sanchez were given 52 months, while Hernandez, Silva, and Martinez received 39, 87, and 87 months in federal prison, respectively.
Additionally, Hernandez, Silva, and Martinez will serve three years of supervised release following their terms of imprisonment. Not U.S. citizens, Torres-Martinez, Pioquinto, and Sanchez are expected to face removal proceedings following the completion of their respective sentences.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane noted the seriousness of the offense and expressed concern regarding the harm Torres-Martinez caused to the community. “Human smuggling organizations simply don’t care,” said Hamdani. “They do not see the migrants they transport as human beings but rather as currency. As a result, when you put yourselves in these criminals’ hands you risk exposing yourself to extreme danger or even death.”
As part of an approximately two-year investigation into human smuggling in the Rio Grande Valley, law enforcement identified and apprehended six members of the ‘Cobra’ human smuggling organization. The smuggling network was responsible for more than 100 undocumented individuals from the Mexican border to Houston from 2018 to 2019.
During the investigation, further evidence revealed that members of the human smuggling organization were responsible for a smuggling fatality as well as an alleged sexual assault of another smuggled individual. Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol conducted the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Phelps prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Human Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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