Man jailed for smuggling 188 illegal migrants into US; judge says it’s ‘a wonder nobody died'
Eliseo Henriquez-Joya (Courtesy: U.S. Department of Justice)
HOUSTON - A Honduran national who was illegally living in Houston has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for his role in smuggling close to 200 illegal immigrants into the U.S., the Department of Justice said.
What we know:
Authorities said Eliseo Henriquez-Joya, aka Cheyo, 35, was the leader of a human smuggling operation that brought illegal immigrants into the U.S. using box trucks, refrigerated trucks and tractor-trailers.
Many of the vehicles had hidden compartments and false walls built into the cargo areas in order to conceal large numbers of migrants, according to the DOJ.
Extremely dangerous conditions
U.S. District Judge David Morales noted that the migrants were transported in extremely dangerous conditions and said it was "a wonder nobody died."
According to officials, the compartments were sealed shut, had little to no ventilation or air conditioning, and those inside had no way to get out.
How he was caught
Dig deeper:
Investigators used evidence recovered from cell phones to link Henriquez-Joya to the operation.
They said he recruited drivers and coordinated each trip, providing specific details such as the number of occupants and pickup and drop-off locations.
Timeline:
He's believed to have been involved in multiple smuggling events dating back to October 2024.
Henriquez-Joya previously pleaded guilty to the charges against him in April.
What happened at the sentencing hearing
What they're saying:
He attended a sentencing hearing this week, during which Judge Morales made the decision to enhance his sentence after learning he was the leader of the operation.
Prosecutors said Henriquez-Joya asked the court for forgiveness, but the judge told him he should instead be seeking forgiveness from the hundreds of people he transported in dangerous conditions.
What's next:
Henriquez-Joya is expected to be removed from the United States after serving out his federal prison sentence.
The Source: The information in this article comes from a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.