What looked like a casual coastal outing turned out to be anything but, according to federal prosecutors.
Christopher Henson, 47, of Corpus Christi, was sentenced on April 7, 2026 to 36 months in federal prison after authorities said he tried to smuggle two people into the United States by disguising a coastal run as a fishing trip along the Intracoastal Waterway. Investigators said Henson presented the voyages as recreational outings, sailed south to Port Mansfield to pick up passengers, then turned back north and docked beyond interior Border Patrol checkpoints. He pleaded guilty on Sept. 29, 2025 and will be on supervised release for three years after he serves his prison term.
Sentence and prosecution
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered Henson to serve 36 months behind bars followed by three years of supervised release, noting his prior smuggling conduct and two separate instances in which he possessed a firearm despite being a felon. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Lamont prosecuted the case, and Henson has been and will remain in custody while he awaits transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.
How investigators say he operated
Federal authorities said Henson used his boat to slip past interior checkpoints by posing as a recreational fisherman and picking up migrants at known coastal drop-off points. On March 30, 2025, surveillance teams watched him prepare to dock. When officers moved in, they said he jumped into the water and tried to escape, and agents later recovered a firearm in his jacket. A search of the vessel turned up two migrants who had boarded at Port Mansfield. The X account of the U.S. Attorney's Office carried the public announcement of the case.
Enforcement along the South Texas coast
Prosecutors said Henson's case is one of several recent human smuggling prosecutions in the Southern District of Texas as federal partners have intensified enforcement along coastal corridors. In recent weeks, the district has brought related cases involving migrants hidden in both vehicles and boats as part of the same push. For a recent similar sentence in the district, see a related press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Legal notes
Henson's prior smuggling conduct and history of possessing weapons were cited at sentencing and factored into the three-year prison term. The investigation involved the U.S. Coast Guard, Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations.
