Laredo Trio Confess to Smuggling Immigrants for Mexican Cartel, Await Sentencing

Three individuals from Laredo, Texas, have copped to guilt in a scheme to smuggle illegal immigrants into the country for a Mexican cartel. The U.S. Attorney's office confirmed Bernardo Aniceto Garza, 26, Francisco Suarez, 19, and Luis Daniel Segura Guzman, 25, all pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to transport undocumented aliens linked to the Cartel del Noreste (CDN).

According to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani, in a statement obtained by the Department of Justice, "The cartels are increasing the use of social media as part of their illegal business model". Law enforcement got wind of a suspicious Facebook ad offering to illicitly ferry people over the U.S. border. Following up on the lead, they established an undercover operation that exposed Segura as the coordinator of an $8,000 deal to transport three undocumented immigrants.

Garza was caught red-handed when he rocked up to a pickup point in a black Ford Raptor, later leaving with three individuals and promptly getting busted after dropping them at a tractor trailer. The catch didn't just end with Garza; a gun was also found in the vehicle. Meanwhile, Segura was intercepted on Sept. 16 and found in possession of a cell phone that was logged into the very Facebook account used to orchestrate the smuggling operation.

In a separate bust on Sept. 19, Suarez was snapped acting as a scout in another smuggling gig. He spilled the beans, admitting he had been working under Garza's direction. The law swooped down, leading to the unraveling of their conspiracy. The trio now faces up to 10 years in the slammer and could be set back by a fine of up to $250,000.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana is expected to drop the hammer at a later date for sentencing. As of now, Suarez and Guzman are being held in custody, while Garza has been given bond. The case was a joint nose-to-the-grindstone effort involving Laredo Police, Border Patrol, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, with significant backing from Joint Task Force Alpha, aimed at stomping out high-risk smuggling operations that pester the borders of the United States.