A Honduran national living illegally in the U.S. was sentenced in the Western District of Texas for leading a massive alien smuggling ring that operated for over three years and brought in thousands of migrants from at least 11 countries, officials announced Wednesday.
Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga, aka “Chino,” 34, of Olancho, Honduras, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $4,500 fine.
From November 2020 to March 2023, Mejia-Zuniga ran a San Antonio-based smuggling organization that moved 2,500 to 3,000 illegal aliens into the U.S., charging between $6,500 and $12,000 per person.
“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, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case represents the epitome of the ruthless and sophisticated criminal organizations that exploit our borders for personal financial gain. The Criminal Division will not stop investigating these cases until all human smuggling organizations are eradicated and the criminals who operate them are prosecuted.”
The network moved migrants from countries including Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, India, Pakistan, and Colombia, typically beginning their journey with a Pakistani smuggler in Brazil.
From there, Mejia-Zuniga coordinated travel through Mexico, often using stash houses in Monterrey and Piedras Negras, before armed “coyotes” guided them across the Rio Grande to Eagle Pass, Texas.
Once across, the migrants were taken to hotels in San Antonio. Mejia-Zuniga admitted earning $30,000 per 10 migrants who crossed the Rio Grande and another $30,000 once they reached San Antonio.
One victim reported paying $20,000 to smuggle himself and his brother into the U.S. They were housed in multiple stash houses with dozens of others before being escorted across the border by an armed guide.
Co-conspirators Monica Hernandez-Palma and Allyson Elsires Alvarez-Zuniga have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Genyi Arguenta-Flores was sentenced to five years in May. A fifth defendant remains in custody in Mexico pending extradition.
Investigators seized wire transfers, ID documents, ledgers, and photos of Mejia-Zuniga’s associates armed with firearms as part of the case.
Mejia-Zuniga pleaded guilty to three counts of bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain and aiding and abetting, according to officials.