Mexican Man Pleads Guilty in Cross-Border Migrant Smuggling Case

A Mexican national sent back from Mexico admitted involvement in a large-scale scheme that moved thousands of people into the U.S. illegally, generating millions in proceeds.

Mexican Man Pleads Guilty in Cross-Border Migrant Smuggling Case

A 38-year-old man from Mexico who was handed over by authorities there has confessed to helping run a far-reaching scheme that sneaked thousands of people into America for hefty fees.

Efrain Zuniga-Garcia entered his plea before a federal judge for acts spanning roughly three years, from late 2020 through mid-2023. Prosecutors say he formed part of a network that handled individuals from nearly a dozen nations — spanning South Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America — guiding them unlawfully across the boundary with Mexico.

The outfit Zuniga-Garcia worked for maintained hidden lodgings in two Mexican cities near the frontier: Monterrey and Piedras Negras. A recruiter stationed in Brazil, originally from Pakistan, signed up migrants wanting passage. That person then linked up with an organizer in San Antonio, Texas, plus a Honduran man, Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga, who ran field operations. Mejia-Zuniga paid armed guides who walked migrants through remote terrain, as well as vehicle operators and lodging keepers.

Zuniga-Garcia himself oversaw one of the concealed properties in Monterrey, arranging pickups and transfers before migrants were passed to foot guides. Those guides then escorted groups across the river separating Mexico from Texas.

Mejia-Zuniga later told investigators the ring had successfully moved an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 individuals during a 24-month window. Migrants were charged anywhere from about $6,500 up to $12,000 each, producing total earnings in the range of $16 million to $30 million. Mejia-Zuniga is already incarcerated under a 10-year term imposed in mid-2025. Another participant, Monica Hernandez-Palma, a 34-year-old Mexican woman, began serving a 41-month sentence earlier this year.

Zuniga-Garcia's admissions covered conspiracy, transporting individuals for profit, and providing assistance to the broader operation. The penalty he faces carries a floor of three years in custody. No date has been fixed for his sentencing hearing.

Federal agents in Del Rio, Texas, directed the domestic investigation, drawing support from a Washington-based human trafficking unit, customs screening specialists, and border patrol officers. Attorneys from the Justice Department's international office coordinated with Mexican law enforcement to arrange the defendant's arrest and transfer to U.S. custody.

Bethany Allen, a trial lawyer with the Criminal Division's human rights section, and Joseph Duarte II, a prosecutor for the Western District of Texas, are leading the government's case.

The probe fell under the umbrella of a specialized federal unit created to dismantle cartel-linked trafficking and smuggling rings. That partnership between justice and homeland security agencies has chalked up more than 464 apprehensions worldwide, over 414 guilty verdicts in American courts, and at least 360 lengthy prison terms since its launch.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice — https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/member-vast-international-alien-smuggling-organization-pleads-guilty

Source: DOJ Justice News