CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A 24-year-old human smuggling guide has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison after he abandoned a sick migrant in the South Texas brush during extreme heat, leaving the man to die.
Alejandro Hernandez-Alcudia, a Mexican national, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana for the Southern District of Texas following his Nov. 24, 2025, guilty plea to charges of bringing illegal aliens into the United States resulting in death.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas made the announcement.
In handing down the sentence, the court noted Hernandez-Alcudia made the deliberate decision to leave the victim behind, resulting in his death.
On Aug. 1, 2025, authorities apprehended four migrants walking through the brush near El Cenizo. Hernandez-Alcudia had helped them cross the Rio Grande by raft earlier that day and then continued guiding them through the brush.
According to the migrants, the group ran out of water approximately 5 hours before they were found. When one member of the group became ill, Hernandez-Alcudia instructed him to sit and rest but continued leading the others, abandoning him in the brush.
When law enforcement approached, Hernandez-Alcudia ordered the group to flee and ran in the opposite direction to avoid apprehension.
Authorities later located the deceased man, identified as a 37-year-old Mexican national who had died as a result of heat stroke. Records show temperatures ranged from 93 to 106 degrees while the group traveled through the brush.
Hernandez-Alcudia admitted taking orders from an individual linked to Cartel del Noreste and acknowledged being paid to smuggle migrants across the Rio Grande and guide them through the brush. Investigators determined he had been involved in human smuggling for at least 3 months as a guide.
As a non-U.S. citizen, Hernandez-Alcudia is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Day for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159. The investigation and charges were also supported by Joint Task Force Alpha, the Department of Justice's lead effort in combating human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
