LOS ANGELES
A Guatemalan man pleaded guilty Thursday to leading one of the largest human smuggling organizations operating in the United States, a scheme that moved about 20,000 migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border over five years and included holding victims hostage, federal prosecutors stated.
Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul, 52, also known as “Turko,” “El Jefe,” “Patrón,” and “El Gallo,” admitted to conspiracy to bring, transport and harbor migrants in the United States for financial gain and to one count of hostage taking, officials stated.
He has been in federal custody since February 2025.
U.S. District Judge Cynthia Valenzuela scheduled sentencing for Oct. 2. Renoj-Matul faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
According to his plea agreement, Renoj-Matul helped run a transnational smuggling network that moved migrants from Guatemala through Mexico and into the United States between 2019 and July 2024. Migrants typically paid between $15,000 and $18,000 for the journey.
Prosecutors said migrants were brought to stash houses in Los Angeles’ Westlake neighborhood, including one on James M. Wood Boulevard. Those whose fees were not paid were held against their will until relatives sent money.
Renoj-Matul admitted the organization transported migrants to multiple states, including Alabama, Florida, Illinois, New York and Virginia.
In one case, conspirators threatened a victim’s mother, warning her daughter would “come home in a box” if fees were not paid. The victim was held for about two months in 2024.