A Texas Man is Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison for Organizing Human Smuggling Scheme
A Texas man has been sentenced to 54 months in federal prison for organizing a human smuggling scheme that involved smuggling over 2,500 illegal immigrants into the United States.
Isai Orona, 35, who also goes by the name “Panda,” was convicted of conspiracy to transport aliens and transporting aliens by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Court documents showed that Orona was identified as the organizer of the smuggling scheme through WhatsApp communications. He admitted to smuggling the illegal immigrants, many of whom were taken to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and had a network of drivers that helped him transport them in at least 12 vehicles.
A co-conspirator working with Orona was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents for transporting nine illegal immigrants in El Paso, Texas, and the car used in the operation was registered to Orona. In addition to his prison sentence, a money judgment of $250,000 was entered against Orona.
This case highlights the importance of stemming the flow of illegal immigration into the United States and the importance of prosecuting individuals who are complicit in human smuggling schemes.
