A family of four from Mission, Texas, has come clean on a million-dollar human smuggling and money laundering scheme. Luis Enrique Moctezuma-Acosta, 36; his wife, Scarlett Fuentes-Gavarrete, 35; Elizabeth Acosta, 52; and Keysi Fuentes-Gavarrete, 27, all coughed up to their involvement in the conspiracy. Their nefarious enterprise stretched from the southern border all the way to Beantown, moving migrants like contraband through an intricate underground network.
Amid a grim portrait of crime at the border, the U.S. Attorney's Office laid bare the group's illegal machinations in a statement. The clan, tied together by either blood or marriage, engaged in laundering a staggering sum upwards of $2 million. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani, inspecting the case, asserted, "From the distant lands of Honduras to the bustling streets of Boston, Massachusetts, this illicit network spans continents, but our resolve to dismantle it remains unwavering."
Scores of undocumented migrants, nearly 300, were moved across state lines, with the group relying on everything from planes to tractor-trailers to surreptitiously shepherd their human cargo. Launched in November 2019, the investigation delved into their shadowy dealings, through which they smuggled primarily individuals from Honduras and Brazil far beyond the border's edge.
Misfortune struck the syndicate on March 9, 2023, when authorities pounced with search warrants on properties associated with the masterminds. Over $1.5 million in cold cash was uncovered at several sites, including a home and a sham car dealership, held out as legitimate enterprise, while total seizures topped $2.69 million along with flashy cars like a 2023 Escalade and luxury trinkets.
Come June 6, U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane will deliver their fate. The accused, who are currently held without bail, could each face 20 years in the clink. The married couple, Moctezuma-Acosta and Scarlett Fuentes-Gavarrete, could be slapped with a double whammy of up to 40 years behind bars for their extra baggage of also smuggling illegal aliens. Besides the prison time, hefty fines up to $250,000 are on the table for each of them.
The investigation's success is owed to the combined efforts of the FBI, alongside the muscle of Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, the Texas Department of Insurance, and the McAllen Police Department. The legal proceedings were managed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric D. Flores, supported by Tyler Foster in the forfeiture smackdown.
