Texas Border Business
Offices of the United States Attorneys
Four men involved in a significant smuggling conspiracy have been sentenced for inhumanely transporting individuals into the United States, as announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Diego Flores, 29, Gerardo Villarreal, 34, and Gilberto Rios, 35, all from Mission, Texas, along with Antonio Cuevas-Lozano, 46, from Mexico, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport or harbor undocumented individuals within the United States. Additionally, Villarreal admitted to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced Diego Flores to 156 months in federal prison. Villarreal received a total of 144 months, combining 120 months for the smuggling conspiracy, 70 months for the firearms conviction (served concurrently), and 24 months for a supervised release violation (served consecutively). Rios and Cuevas-Lozano were sentenced to 63 and 30 months, respectively. Flores, Rios, and Villarreal must also serve three years of supervised release, while Cuevas-Lozano is expected to face removal proceedings after his imprisonment.
During the hearing, it was revealed that the organization transported thousands of undocumented individuals in groups of at least 70 by confining them in containers sealed from the outside and loaded onto trailers. These individuals endured the harsh Texas climate in these conditions. Diego Flores was identified as a leader within the smuggling operation and had a prior smuggling conviction. The organization also used firearms to intimidate the individuals. Judge Crane condemned the organization for their “inhumane” methods, highlighting the complete disregard for the safety of the undocumented people.
U.S. Attorney Hamdani emphasized the predatory nature of human smugglers and their disregard for human life, noting that the sentences reflect the commitment to dismantling deadly human smuggling operations along the Southwest border.
Starting in April 2022, Flores hired “hot shot” drivers to transport various containers, including wooden boxes and sheds, on flat-bed trailers. If intercepted at the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint, the drivers would claim ignorance about the contents they were transporting.
Multiple interceptions occurred between April 26, 2022, and September 1, 2023, where law enforcement found undocumented individuals hidden in compartments within wooden boxes, sheds, hay bales, and trailer compartments. On each occasion, authorities interviewed the recovered individuals, uncovering the large-scale smuggling operation.
The organization used a ranch property in Mission to build the compartments, instructing individuals to enter and then sealing the containers. The trailers were then driven to meet “hot shot” drivers for further transport north. A search warrant executed on September 5, 2023, at the ranch property resulted in the recovery of three firearms. Villarreal was found in possession of a pistol, which is prohibited for convicted felons.
Previously, on February 1, Noe Vasquez received 144 months in federal prison for his involvement in the conspiracy. The court heard testimony about how the organization smuggled approximately 3000 non-U.S. citizens and used firearms to control them.
All defendants will remain in custody pending their transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The investigation was conducted by BP, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker prosecuted the case.