A Laredo resident has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a human smuggling conspiracy that exploited social media, weather conditions, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Juan Francisco Reyna, 21, pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiring to transport and harbor illegal aliens within the United States.
U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison sentenced Reyna to 63 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release. The court held him accountable for over 100 aliens and imposed enhancements due to unaccompanied minors, reckless endangerment, and his leadership role in the conspiracy.
“Over the past six months, the Department of Justice has made securing our national border the number one priority,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Human smugglers may have had an easy time over the past few years, but those days are over.”
The investigation revealed Reyna’s involvement in human smuggling spanned at least five years. From 2019 to 2023, he was repeatedly caught attempting to move individuals through checkpoints north of Laredo and linked to multiple stash houses in Texas.
Reyna recruited others to help harbor and transport aliens across several states including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Georgia, and Florida. He coordinated with co-conspirators in Mexico using various vehicles for transportation.
Evidence from his cellphone showed information on dozens of illegal aliens, some minors aged between 14 and 17. Reyna used Facebook for coordination and paid scout drivers for checkpoint monitoring.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, drivers were advised to claim medical appointments at checkpoints or use remote routes bypassing them entirely.
In April 2023, law enforcement seized significant amounts of currency and ammunition from a San Antonio stash house linked to Reyna. His arrest came after a pursuit when he attempted to evade authorities while transporting suspected aliens.
The joint investigation involved Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations among other agencies under an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day prosecuted the case.
