Immigrant smuggler sentenced to 18 years

DEL RIO, TX -- Immigration officials have announced an 18-year prison sentence for a Texas man convicted in a human smuggling operation in which an immigrant died.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Wednesday that 27-year-old Fernando Ochoa was sentenced April 25 for transporting and conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants in 2010. Two other men who were guiding the group of immigrants around a Border Patrol checkpoint near Carrizo Springs had already been sentenced to five years in prison each.

The Honduran man they left behind was later found dead. Homeland Security Investigations agents found that the guides worked for Ochoa, who pleaded guilty in October.

U.S. District Judge Alia Moses in Del Rio also sentenced Ochoa to five years each for three immigrant transportation counts to run concurrently with the other sentence.

Get more State »

texas, state

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•