It began with a routine traffic stop in Tampa, Fla. On February 4, 2012, just after 5 p.m., Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputies pulled over 21-year-old Kathleen Roberson. Not only did she not have a valid driver's license, but she was also transporting five illegal aliens in her Kia Sorrento.
Roberson and one of her passengers, Jessica Roland, were transporters for a much larger human smuggling organization that operated out of Arizona and Alabama. The organization transported illegal aliens to final destinations throughout the United States.
The sheriff's office and the U.S. Border Patrol notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) about the incident. Two days later, HSI initiated an investigation to determine who Roberson and Roland were working for.
"When conducting these investigations, we look for the root of the problem. We were determined to dismantle the larger criminal organization behind the smuggling activity," said Sue McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.
Further investigation led HSI to the organization's leadership, including brothers Jose Bartolo Calixto-Moran and Pedro Calixto-Moran, and Pedro's girlfriend Marilu Ramirez-Bartolo. The brothers and Ramirez-Bartolo were all Mexican citizens illegally residing in the United States.
"Human smugglers completely disregard the value of human lives. They transport people across the border like commodities, often in squalid conditions," said McCormick. "We estimate this organization was transporting nearly 80 illegal aliens each month from Phoenix to final destinations across the United States."
As a result of HSI's investigation, the court sentenced Pedro Calixto-Moran to 71 months in prison, Jose Calixto-Moran to 41 months in prison and Ramirez-Bartolo to 27 months in prison for their roles in the human smuggling organization. Roberto Jimenez-Delgado was also sentenced to 33 months in prison for transporting illegal aliens. Roberson and Roland cooperated with the investigation, and as a result, were sentenced to time served.
A south Texas man pleaded guilty Wednesday, November 14, 2012, to alien smuggling and harboring that resulted in the death of a 24-year-old Mexican national in September 2011, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Lewey Martinez, 31, of Falfurrias, pleaded guilty Nov. 14 to alien smuggling and harboring before Senior U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack. The government detailed that for five years, Martinez coordinated transporting aliens around the U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint in Falfurrias. On the evening of Sept. 15, 2011, Martinez arranged for about 20 illegal aliens to hike around the checkpoint with the assistance of brush guides. After walking around the checkpoint, the aliens were driven to a stash house on Martinez's property.
Shortly after the group's arrival, two brush guides drove to the stash house with an additional alien who died from exposure and dehydration. Martinez and two others loaded the victim's body into a pickup truck and drove it to a public intersection. Martinez then called the emergency operator from a payphone and directed police to the body.
Following his arrest, Martinez admitted his role in the smuggling operation and his involvement in disposing the body.
Martinez faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 25. He will remain in federal custody pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey D. Preston, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted the case.
Two Guatemalan men accused of multiple human smuggling and hostage-taking charges were convicted Thursday, October 11, 2012, by a federal jury, following an investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Domingo Agustin-Simon, 31, and Leonardo Rabanales-Casia, 30, were both convicted of conspiracy to commit hostage taking, hostage taking, bringing in illegal aliens for profit, and harboring illegal aliens for profit. Both defendants remain in federal custody pending a sentencing hearing scheduled for Jan. 14, 2013. The men face maximum penalties of life in prison, $250,000 fine, or both.
Evidence presented at trial showed the defendants were part of an alien smuggling ring that smuggled aliens into the U.S. to a drop house in Mesa. In August 2011, HSI special agents responded to the drop house and found more than 40 illegal aliens being held inside.
Trial testimony revealed the smugglers used a shotgun to keep order in the house and threatened the aliens with physical harm and death in an effort to extort monetary payments from the aliens’ families. One hostage was beaten by the smugglers and women in the drop house were sexually assaulted.
HSI was assisted in the investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Phoenix Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Keller and Sean K. Lokey of the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona.
A local woman was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison Thursday, June 28, 2012, for her role in a conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Petra Hernandez, 35, of Laredo, Texas, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen to serve three years of supervised release and 150 hours of community service. Judge Kazen also forfeited Hernandez's personal residence, which was used as a stash house and purchased with proceeds from the alien smuggling conspiracy spanning more than a decade. Hernandez pleaded guilty to the charges Sept. 7, 2011.
On July 10, 2011, HSI special agents executed a search warrant at Hernandez's residence and discovered 16 illegal aliens who had arranged to be smuggled to various parts of the United States. Hernandez was arrested and later indicted along with Rachele Lynn Munoz, 31, of Laredo, for harboring aliens at her home.
On Aug. 1, 2011, HSI special agents received information that a group of illegal aliens had been found in the brush by U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Border Patrol. This information led special agents to suspect the person harboring them was Hernandez, who was out of jail on bond. She was again arrested, along with Nancy Rodriguez, 29, also of Laredo.
The indictment was later superseded charging Hernandez, Munoz and Rodriguez with conspiracy to harbor and transport aliens, and four substantial counts of harboring and transporting aliens. Hernandez subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of alien smuggling conspiracy. At the plea hearing, Hernandez admitted to being involved in transporting and harboring aliens from August 2001 through August 2011, and having used the proceeds from the illegal activities to fund a lavish lifestyle, including purchasing a house with cash and a cashier's check.
Munoz and Rodriguez also pleaded guilty to separate counts of alien transporting and alien harboring, and are awaiting sentencing. Munoz was released on bond pending sentencing. Rodriguez will remain in federal custody as an illegal alien subject to deportation after the judicial proceedings.
Hernandez had been on bond awaiting sentencing. However, on May 21, HSI special agents again found her harboring five illegal aliens. She was indicted on those charges June 5, and is currently pending trial on that case. She will remain in custody.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sonah Lee and D.J. Young, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Ellen Smyth handled the asset forfeiture matter.
