McALLEN, Texas – A trio of Texas residents has been nailed for their role in a ruthless conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency business in Los Indios, near Harlingen and Brownsville. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, 50, Mireya Miranda, 59, and Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez, 47, were sentenced for their involvement in a long-standing scheme that leveraged fear, monopolization, and extortion.
Hernandez was hit with a 37-month stretch behind bars for conspiracy to fix prices and allocate the transmigrante market, as well as conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion. Miranda got off easier, facing just 10 months of home detention for her part in the price-fixing plot. Tapia Fernandez was sentenced to 31 months for his role in a money laundering conspiracy involving the proceeds of the extortion.
In addition to their sentences, Hernandez and Miranda were each ordered to pay a $75,000 fine, while Tapia Fernandez was required to fork over $50,000. The restitution amount will be determined at a later date.
“Price fixing is an affront to market integrity and a slap in the face to honest businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “We’re committed to keeping our borders free from such criminal syndicates.” Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that the Antitrust Division is serious about locking up both white-collar and violent criminals who try to exploit America’s markets.
“The FBI will not tolerate the use of violence and extortion in business dealings,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp. “We’ll continue working with our law enforcement partners to dismantle these criminal organizations.” Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of ICE-HSI San Antonio added, “By taking down this enterprise, we ensure that honest businesses can compete fairly.”
The case involves the transmigrante industry, which transports used vehicles and goods from the U.S. to Mexico for resale in Central America. The conspirators fixed prices for forwarding services, created a centralized entity known as the “pool” to divide revenue, and imposed various extortion fees on participants.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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