Illegal Honduran Immigrant Sentenced for Mass Trafficking of Immigrants From More Than 11 Countries

An illegal Honduran immigrant was sentenced in Texas for leading a three-year smuggling ring involving thousands of foreigners from more than 11 countries, including Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, India, Pakistan, and Colombia.

Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga, also known as Chino, 34, was found guilty by a federal judge in the Western District of Texas for participating in the smuggling of thousands of foreigners into the United States for profit.

On July 9, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, plus three years of supervised release, and a $4,500 fine, according to a statement from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Mejia-Zuniga admitted to receiving money to smuggle between 2,500 and 3,000 people into the United States in just two years.

Each person was required to pay between $6,500 and $12,000, and Mejia-Zuniga received $30,000 for every 10 illegal immigrants who reached the Rio Grande, and another $30,000 if those 10 reached San Antonio, Texas.

“His actions put our national security at risk. However, thanks to our many federal law enforcement partners, Mejia-Zuniga will no longer be allowed to enrich himself to the detriment of this country,” U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons said in the statement.

Others involved in the human smuggling ring include Genyi Arguenta Flores, 32, a resident of Honduras, who was sentenced to five years in prison on May 12; Mónica Hernández Palma, 33, a resident of Mexico; and Allyson Elsires Álvarez Zúniga, 26, a resident of Honduras. 

The latter two pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing, while “a final co-defendant is being held in Mexico pending an extradition request from the United States,” the statement added.

“Mejia-Zuniga and his co-conspirators made millions of dollars off the backs of thousands of people whom they smuggled into the United States,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, chief of the DOJ’s Criminal Division.

Galeotti added that Mejia-Zuniga’s case “represents the epitome of the ruthless and sophisticated criminal organizations that exploit our borders for personal financial gain.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Del Rio stated that it conducted the investigation alongside several federal and state law enforcement agencies in South Texas.

The investigation was conducted through witness statements and other evidence such as bank transfers, client ledgers, foreign identification documents, and photographs of alien-smuggling-operation Mejia-Zuniga members with firearms, according to a July 10 Immigration and Customs Enforcement statement.

“Our team’s exploitation of subpoena returns and identification of key financial patterns helped bring these smugglers to justice,” said Scott Good, chief of the Law Enforcement Operations Directorate of the U.S. Border Patrol’s (USBP’s) Intelligence and Information Task Force.

Good stated that “USBP will continue to collaborate with domestic and international law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks and secure our nation’s borders.”