A Mexican national residing in Plano, Texas, has been sentenced for immigration-related offenses in the Eastern District of Texas. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Ana Maria Villa-Flores, aged 42, admitted guilt to charges of conspiracy to transport and harbor aliens illegally entering the United States. On June 12, 2025, U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III imposed a maximum sentence of 120 months in federal prison on Villa-Flores.
Court documents revealed that in January 2022, authorities found twenty-four undocumented individuals at one of Villa-Flores’ residences. Investigations disclosed her role in recruiting drivers and organizing the smuggling operation from Mexico into the United States. These individuals were initially brought to Plano before being moved along other routes across the country. To prevent escape attempts, male migrants were reportedly instructed to remove their pants. Federal agents attributed approximately 254 illegal alien smuggling incidents to Villa-Flores.
In a related case from 2023 prosecuted in the Western District of Texas, Villa-Flores received a four-year federal prison sentence for smuggling around 124 undocumented immigrants.
The case forms part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). This initiative involves collaboration between the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigation was carried out by Homeland Security Investigations teams based in Dallas and El Paso alongside the Plano Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Batson led the prosecution.
