Mexican Transnational Criminal Organization Co-Leader Gets 30 years in Federal Prison, $500K Money Judgment for Deadly Alien Smuggling Operation

DEL RIO, Texas - A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio Monday to 365 months in prison for his leadership role in a conspiracy to transport hundreds of illegal aliens, resulting in at least one death, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.

According to court documents, Pedro Luis Martinez-Jaquez, 36, of Piedras Negras, was a leader in an alien smuggling organization (ASO) that operated in southwest Texas from at least January 2021 through July 2022. Martinez-Jaquez and another co-conspirator supplied and organized the illegal alien loads and crossed them into the U.S. for the first leg of their journey. In one instance, Martinez-Jaquez called a co-conspirator, Miguel Angel Rivera, and said that one of the illegal aliens being transported had "passed out" and that he would "deal with it." A search of Rivera's phone during the investigation revealed photos of the alien, who was deceased.

Martinez-Jaquez's phone number was found to be linked to the ASO via WhatsApp messages with Rivera, Rivera's sister Luz Rivera, and co-conspirator Erica Aracely Carmona. A subsequent search of Martinez-Jaquez's residence resulted in the discovery of 74 phones, 14 of which were seized. The remaining 60 phones were suspected to belong to illegal aliens who had been transported into the U.S. The majority of the 285 audio messages between Martinez-Jaquez and Luz Rivera referenced pickup coordination, as well as the storage and harboring of illegal aliens. ICE Homeland Security Investigations learned that the ASO was charging $9,500 per illegal alien to be smuggled into the U.S., with half of the proceeds going to Martinez-Jaquez.

The ASO smuggled more than 500 illegal aliens and generated over $4.7 million in proceeds between January 2021 and July 2022. Throughout their operation, the ASO used custom made "tow-behind" trailers to transport illegal aliens. The ASO began using an 18-wheeler with a false compartment inside the tractor trailer that held up to 40 aliens, but that trailer was interdicted by federal law enforcement on the first smuggling attempt.

Martinez-Jaquez was named in an initial indictment on Aug. 17, 2022, and in a superseding indictment on Feb. 28, 2024. He was arrested March 8, 2024, and on Nov. 26, 2024, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death. In addition to the 30-year imprisonment, Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses ordered a $500,000 money judgement.

"Martinez-Jaquez is one of the most prolific facilitators of alien smuggling in the last decade," said U.S. Attorney Simmons. "Over the course of an 18-month operation, he made hundreds of thousands of dollars transporting illegal aliens into the United States. The work we have done to secure the border over the last year has made it very difficult for ASOs like this one to operate and enrich themselves while endangering the lives of those they smuggle. This is a fight worth having, and it is one in which we, in the Western District of Texas, will continue to engage."

Herrera and Miguel Rivera were sentenced in May 2025 to 151 months and 216 months in federal prison, each with credit for time served. In January, Carmona was sentenced to 132 months in prison. The final defendant, Jose Eduardo Rodriguez Moreno, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25.

ICE HSI investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, and the Maverick County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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