Guatemalan man and EU on his top have been arrested and face multiple federal accusations for leading a human smuggling ring that brought about 20,000 illegal immigrants to the US
Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul, 51, aka “Turko” and his “right arm” Cristobal Mejia-Chaj, 49, were arrested Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.
The man, a resident of the Westlake area near downtown Los Angeles, is now jailed without detention prior to a trial scheduled to begin on April 22.
Between 2019 and 2024, men are said to have brought thousands of people from Guatemala to the United States, but sometimes those migrants were held hostages or placed in dangerous situations that lead to death.
As an example, authorities highlighted a 2023 car accident in Oklahoma, killing seven people, including a four-year-old child.
In that crash, 44-year-old Andering Jose Pakstor Oxraj of Linoj Matul “had a car accident in Elk, Oklahoma,” prompted immigrants from New York to Los Angeles, resulting in the deaths of seven passengers, including three young children aged four.
Paxtor-Oxlaj, who had been deported previously in 2010, was detained and after being deported, he was accused of being an illegal alien in the United States.
Paxtor-oxlaj and Helmer Obispo-Hernandez, 41, aka “Xavi”, are eu, among loose organizations, and were charged with Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj.
Beyond smuggling, the man threatened fatal violence against trafficked people and law enforcement agencies, officials said.
“Another federal criminal charge accused Obispo Hernandez of threatening to cut off the heads of a task force officer on the Homeland Security Investigation and members of his family,” the release said. “The threat is said to have been added to federal law enforcement on Friday following a search warrant being enforced at Obispo Hernandez’s residence.”
The 2023 crash in Oklahoma killed seven people, including a four-year-old child who was being trafficked by a Guatemalan criminal organization. The 2023 crash in Oklahoma killed seven people, including a four-year-old child who was trafficked by a Guatemalan criminal organization.
Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj are said to have been hostages in Westlake for several months last year, when two Guatemalan nationals were reportedly held hostages in Westlake.[ing] Kill the victim until a third party pays for release. ”
All four men are charged with conspiracy to take the aliens to the US, transport them to the US, and embrace them for civilian economic benefits, resulting in death.
“In addition, Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj are being charged with filming two hostages,” the release said. “Obispo-Hernandez and Paxtor-oxlaj are charged with private economic interests and one count of transporting aliens in the United States and consequently transporting them.”
If convicted in all numbers, a man could be sentenced to death or prison life, but officials thought the case would have a greater impact than these four men.
“The indictment and arrests here have dismantled one of the nation’s largest and most dangerous smuggling organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “This job saves lives and organizational members will now face serious consequences.”
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