Martin Garcia-Velazquez, a 42-year-old San Antonio resident of Michoacan, Mexico descent, faced the strong arm of justice as he was sentenced to a hefty 90 months in federal prison for spearheading a human smuggling operation. United States District Judge Scott H. Rash handed down the sentence which is followed by three years of supervised release and includes a mandatory special assessment of $5,000 under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona. The sentence comes after Garcia-Velazquez’s guilty plea entered September last year to conspiracy charges related to the transportation and harbor of undocumented noncitizens.
Known also by the aliases Jorge Espino-Garcia and “Tucan,” the ringleader admitted to coordinating the illegal transport of noncitizens from the border to safe houses around Phoenix. The extensive investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents ultimately resulted in the forfeiture of more than $1 million in assets from organization members. This haul also included firearms, such as an SKS 7.62 x 39mm semi-automatic rifle, and five vehicles. In a similar vein, Garcia-Velazquez's co-conspirators have faced the music for their involvement in the nefarious scheme.
Jesus Torres-Aguilera, after pleading guilty to related conspiracy charges and money laundering, was sentenced to 23 months or time served, in addition to three years of supervised release, by the same vigilant judge. Elmer Rene Del Cid Santos and Angelico Roa-Joachin also received prison sentences for their roles. Del Cid Santos got 18 months and Roa-Joachin, who had a previous deportation on his record, was slapped with 78 months by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps. All were subject to the same $5,000 assessment, a clear message that human smuggling comes at a significant cost.
The culmination of these sentences is partly attributed to the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative, which employs a robust multi-agency approach to crack down on high-level offenders like drug traffickers and transnational criminal organizations. Furthermore, Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) plays a critical part in these operations, a Justice Department spearhead established in mid-2021 by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland aiming to dismantle and disrupt criminal groups that exploit migrants and pose threats to national security.
With collaborative efforts spanning various states and agencies, including Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration in Sierra Vista, the crackdown on Garcia-Velazquez’s operation was bound to be impactful. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano of Tucson capably managed the prosecution, marking another successful stride in America's unyielding stance against human smuggling and trafficking.
