Roberto Galeas-Mejia, a 48-year-old Honduran national, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for leading a human smuggling organization based in San Antonio. He was found guilty of conspiracy to transport and harbor undocumented noncitizens, as well as money laundering. His conviction, which resulted from a July 27, 2022, verdict, included significant forfeiture and monetary judgments due to the severity of the crimes, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.

Court documents detail Galeas-Mejia's operations, including the transportation and sheltering of undocumented individuals, coordination of illegal payments, and laundering of smuggled funds. Defendants directed money through various bank accounts for both their criminal activities and personal expenses, such as vehicle purchases. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with support from the U.S. Border Patrol and local Texas law enforcement agencies, as reported by the United States Attorney’s Office.

Roberto Galeas-Mejia's co-conspirators, including his wife Eva Maria Galeas and stepdaughter Lisa Marie Ortega, were found guilty in the human smuggling case, while his sisters, Sandra and Norma, pled guilty earlier. Galeas-Mejia faces a lengthy prison sentence, and his family members received sentences in March. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses ordered the forfeiture of over $600,000 from a home safe and required Galeas to pay a $1,008,000 judgment, as stated by the United States Attorney’s Office.