Federal agents have taken down a smuggling operation that brought thousands of illegal immigrants into the U.S., authorities said. The criminal network, which has been operating for years, reportedly held migrants in stash houses while waiting for payment before sending them across the country.
The arrests of Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul and Cristobal Mejia-Chaj in Los Angeles have led to a major disruption of the organization, which allegedly smuggled around 20,000 migrants from Guatemala. According to prosecutors, migrants were forced to pay as much as $18,000 for the journey, and those who couldn’t pay were sometimes held against their will.
Officials say the smuggling ring is linked to several deaths, including an incident in Oklahoma in late 2023, where seven illegal immigrants were killed in a car crash. One of the organization’s drivers, Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj, was behind the wheel during the fatal accident and has been charged in connection with the group.
Prosecutors say the organization used intimidation tactics against migrants and their families. Renoj-Matul allegedly called a migrant’s mother and warned that her daughter “would come home in a box” if payment was not sent.
Authorities are still searching for another suspect, Helmer Obispo-Hernandez, who has been accused of overseeing migrant transportation and making threats against law enforcement.
Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj have pleaded not guilty and are being held without bail. A federal judge has scheduled their trial for April.
