Plano resident Ana Maria Villa-Flores, 42, received a 10-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to crimes tied to trafficking illegal immigrants, as revealed by Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. According to the information presented in court, Villa-Flores was involved in smuggling approximately 254 undocumented people, recruiting drivers and setting up a Plano home as part of a conduit for human smuggling from Mexico to various locales in the United States.
Yesterday, the sentencing at the Eastern District of Texas was handed down by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III, applying the maximum term allowed by law. This sentence arrives in the wake of Villa-Flores' prior conviction, her history marred by an earlier 4-year prison sentence in 2023 for similar offenses involving around 124 illegal aliens, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The case forms a part of the Operation Take Back America initiative, seeking to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels, and address violent crime.
An investigation unearthed that Villa-Flores played a significant role in the criminal operation, demonstrating an arrangement where undocumented men were told to remove their pants, presumably to deter escape attempts. The Dallas and El Paso Homeland Security Investigations, alongside the Plano Police Department, were the agencies leading the probe into Villa-Flores' activities. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Batson brought the prosecution for this case.
Operation Take Back America integrates resources from the Department of Justice Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), seeking an extensive sweep against criminal enterprises that affect immigration and community safety.
