CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Brownsville man will spend five years in federal prison for orchestrating a human smuggling conspiracy that transported more than 100 people in dangerous conditions across South Texas.
Christian Ivan Hernandez, 30, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos handed down the sentence after reviewing Hernandez's role as the organizer of the smuggling operation and his criminal history, which includes two prior convictions for similar offenses in 2018 and 2019.
From May 1 through July 21, 2024, Hernandez facilitated the smuggling of approximately 107 people concealed in cargo areas of three separate tractor-trailers, with another 10 found in vehicle cab areas. The court determined Hernandez operated three stash houses in the McAllen area as part of the conspiracy.
In early May 2024, Hernandez called Carlos Josue Cruz-Rivas and asked him to pick up several people at a warehouse in McAllen. Authorities later arrested Cruz-Rivas for attempting to smuggle 36 people found in his empty utility trailer, along with six others in the sleeper portion of the cab.
That same month, authorities arrested David Vargas-Muniz for attempting to smuggle 46 people in a tractor-trailer in Brooks County. Hernandez had met him at the location and told him the people were in his trailer and not to make any stops.
On July 21, 2024, law enforcement identified and arrested Mendez-Hernandez after he attempted to smuggle 25 people in a utility trailer and another four in the tractor's cab.
Cruz-Rivas, 35, a Honduran national who illegally resided in Brawley, California, Vargas-Muniz, 53, of Waxahachie, and Mendez-Hernandez, 31, of Santa Maria, California, have all pleaded guilty for their roles and been sentenced.
Hernandez remains in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Young Min Burkett prosecuted the case.
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