A Houston man has been sentenced to federal prison for operating a stash house linked to a human smuggling operation. Junior Morales-Chutan, 33, a Guatemalan national in the U.S. illegally, was sentenced to 48 months in prison followed by supervised release. After serving his sentence, he faces possible deportation, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Morales-Chutan operated a stash house in Houston where migrants were held under threats of violence while their families were pressured for ransom payments. In one instance, he demanded $32,500 from a father who had already paid $25,000 for the release of his two children, threatening to turn them over to a cartel if the money was not paid, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Authorities arrested Junior Morales-Chutan after finding firearms, cash, and ledgers at a house on Tanager Street tied to a smuggling operation. The investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations led to the release of several migrants, who identified Morales-Chutan as running the stash house, which sometimes held up to 20 people. He had been deported before but returned to the U.S. about 18 months earlier. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Day, and Morales-Chutan is being held while awaiting transfer to federal prison, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
