Mexican national admits to role in the stash house death of illegal alien

LAREDO, Texas - A 39-year-old Mexican national pleaded guilty to harboring 32 illegal aliens in a stash house under such dangerous conditions that one person died. Cruz Alberto de la Garza admitted he conspired with others to keep the aliens at the Laredo stash house and helped transport them.

ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents began their probe in this case Oct. 15, 2025, after two illegal aliens were dropped off at an emergency room and one of them was pronounced dead. The medical examiner's report identified one cause of death as environment exposure with heat effects. The investigation revealed 30 illegal aliens housed in a trailer used as a stash house on a ranch-style property. The trailer had little to no air conditioning and inadequate ventilation - inside, the temperature was dangerously high. There was little food and no access to a toilet within the trailer, and no one was permitted to leave. HSI's investigation revealed that De la Garza had instructed the aliens to get into the tractor trailer and initially drove them before parking and exiting the vehicle.

"Human smuggling is a multibillion-dollar criminal industry that benefits criminals who prioritize profits over human life," said acting ICE Director David J. Venturella. "It threatens U.S. border security and public safety and is one of the many crimes that HSI investigates. Unfortunately, deaths caused by human smugglers' greed and carelessness are not uncommon, and de la Garza's victim is among many other deaths we see each year in cases like these."

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 1, before U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo. At that time, De la Garza faces up to life in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Learn more about De la Garza's case here.

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