This week, a Dallas man was found guilty of conspiring to transport migrants through San Antonio and other parts of the state, and he was sentenced to seven years in jail.
Homeland Security Investigations made Sedrick Zelitis Smith, 47, their first arrest in May 2021.
According to court filings, Smith was regarded as a crucial component of a 10-person human smuggling ring that at least 19 times used big 18-wheelers to carry over 900 migrants from Laredo to San Antonio.
As many as over 100 migrants were crammed into a single 18-wheeler, and as few as about thirty people were found inside the big trucks, according to the Department of Justice.
According to the authorities, Smith frequently acted as a liaison between the leaders of the migrant smuggling operation and the drivers of 18-wheelers. According to investigators, Smith was also actively involved in the theft and operation of 18-wheelers while holding a commercial driver’s license.
The migrants, according to agents, came from Mexico to Laredo. Smith would frequently visit Laredo and offered support to people transporting migrants into Dallas and San Antonio.
Nine more individuals have been charged in relation to the migrant smuggling scheme, in addition to Smith. Fredi Zagala-Servin was found guilty of conspiring to transport illegal aliens and was given an eight-year and one-month prison sentence.
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Norman Lee Walker, Jr., another suspect, was taken into custody on May 21, according to the DOJ.
On dates to be determined, the trials of the other seven suspects—Brady Adamson, Ronnie Joe Branch, Eliseo Loredo, Rodney Edward Shavers, Mark Algie Holliday, Francisco Arredondo-Colmenero, and Debbie Marie Gonzales—will take place.
“With the rise of human smuggling in recent years, it is absolutely critical that we send a message to criminals throughout all levels of these organizations that their crimes at the expense of vulnerable individuals are serious, they are dangerous, and we are here to readily prosecute,” U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas stated. “I appreciate the dedication of our partners at HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) and our Joint Task Force Alpha initiative. Their efforts have been essential in taking down this HSO (human smuggling operation) and many others. We’ll continue to dismantle these groups and serve justice together.”
