Source: Office of United States Attorneys
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 28-year-old Roma man has been sentenced for conspiring to smuggle illegal aliens resulting in multiple deaths, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose Refugio Torres pleaded guilty Sept. 27, 2023, admitting he conspired to transport illegal aliens from the Rio Grande Valley to destinations within the United States.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now imposed a 36-month-term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the severity of human smuggling involving death and admonished Torres that should he ever return to the smuggling business, he could be facing potential life in federal prison.
“As this case sadly demonstrates, human smuggling is a crime that takes lives and puts the public at risk,” said Ganjei. “Securing the border is the Southern District of Texas’ number one priority, and breaking up these smuggling rings is a key component of that. We will continue to use all available resources to aggressively pursue those that flout our immigration laws and put profit ahead of human lives.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is dedicated to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to ensure the safety and security of citizens across all communities in the United States,” said HSI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge, Craig Larrabee. “We will remain focused on investigating and dismantling transnational criminal organizations that jeopardize the well-being of individuals.”
Jose Refugio Torres was involved in the attempted smuggling of illegal aliens in March 2019 by motor vehicle from the Rio Grande Valley to destinations within the United States. During this failed attempt in Duval County, a vehicle rolled over and caused the deaths of four people with serious injuries to six others.
The victims included citizens of Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Ecuador as well as a 17-year-old boy from Ecuador.
Torres was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol; Coast Guard; Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations; police departments in Port Mansfield and South Padre Island; Texas Rangers; Texas Game Wardens; sheriff’s offices in Kenedy, Duval and Willacy Counties; and the Willacy County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jose E. Arreola Jr. and Jose Esquivel Jr. prosecuted the case.