Couple sentenced for human smuggling

McALLEN — A couple was sentenced Friday to about five years in prison each for running a large-scale human smuggling operation.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa sentenced Hortensia Sanchez-Rodriguez and Emilio Anguiano-Santoyo to 60 and 63 months, respectively, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office in Houston. The statement goes on to say that the couple was responsible for smuggling about 250 illegal immigrants from Miguel Alemán to Roma and arranging their transport to Houston during a period from March 2004 to September 2005.

The court docket reads that there was evidence through recorded telephone conversations that the couple may have arranged for about 3,300 immigrants to be smuggled.

The two were arrested Sept. 23, 2005, after a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper stopped them for a traffic violation in Starr County, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court. The couple, a minor and another passenger, Norma Zavala, all told a U.S. Border Patrol agent they were in the country illegally.

Zavala told the agent she paid $2,000 to be smuggled from Mexico to Houston, according to the criminal complaint. She was smuggled to a ranch first and then moved to Anguiano-Santoyo’s house, she said.

The couple was indicted on Oct. 11, 2005, each on one charge of human smuggling. They pleaded guilty Feb. 6, 2006.