A Houston man has been sentenced for his role in smuggling aliens through Corpus Christi and the Border Patrol checkpoints near Sarita and Falfurrias. Marvin Reyes led the organization that smuggled aliens through the checkpoints and by airplane, arranging private flights for the illegal aliens from Weslaco to Houston. He was ordered to serve 108 months in prison and to forfeit $1 million.
Reyes’s organization, which was based out of Houston, coordinated the movement of illegal aliens through the Border Patrol checkpoints located near Sarita and Falfurrias. The investigation revealed that the conspiracy had stretched over three years with over 200 aliens transported. Reyes’s sentencing is a significant blow to the human smuggling operation in the Southern District of Texas.
The Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation, representing 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault, and violence against children.
Reyes’s sentencing is a testament to the dedication of law enforcement agencies in the Southern District of Texas. The district’s efforts to enhance enforcement and protect the public have yielded significant results. The sentencing of Marvin Reyes is a major victory in the ongoing fight against human smuggling in the region.
In a separate case, Joe Adam Escobedo was sentenced to 69 months in prison after illegally smuggling dozens of people into the United States on two separate occasions. Escobedo drove a tractor trailer to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint on two occasions in 2024 with a total of 49 illegal aliens from the countries of El Salvador, Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Carlos Del Angel Bocanegra, a 27-year-old Los Fresnos man, was sentenced to 24 months in prison after attempting to smuggle an illegal alien further into the country. Bocanegra approached the Border Patrol checkpoint near Kingsville driving a Chevy Tahoe with an adult passenger and four juveniles visibly present. When authorities discovered an illegal alien concealed under a passenger row seat, Bocanegra then immediately fled and led law enforcement on a chase down the highway.
Jesus Alberto Castro-Garza, a repeat offender with prior felony convictions, was sentenced to 106 months in federal prison for again illegally re-entering the United States. Castro-Garza was first removed from the country in 2019 and has illegally returned three times. His most recent removal was on November 21, 2023.
The Southern District of Texas continues to prioritize public safety and a secure border. The district’s efforts to enhance enforcement and protect the public have yielded significant results, including the sentencing of Marvin Reyes and the other individuals mentioned above.
Related Federal Cases
- Tren de Aragua Leaders Unsealed, Terror Cartel Crimes, Texas, 2023 · New York
- Eduardo Ravelo, Racketeering Conspiracy, Texas 2013 · Oklahoma
- Pam Bondi, Money Laundering, Texas, 2023 · Texas
- Lewis Brooks McKenzie, Masterminding Sophisticated Drug Ring, North Dakota Texas 2023 · Texas
- Juan Rodriguez, Drug Smuggling, New York 2023 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Human Trafficking|Public Corruption|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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