Illegal alien sent to prison for role in smuggling nearly 200 illegal aliens

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 35-year-old Honduran national who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to transport illegal aliens.

Eliseo Henriquez-Joya, aka Cheyo, pleaded guilty April 28.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered Henriquez-Joya to serve 72 months in federal prison. As an illegal alien, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

At the hearing, the court enhanced his sentence after hearing evidence that Henriquez-Joya was a leader of the organization and coordinated the smuggling of approximately 188 illegal aliens. Henriquez-Joya asked the court for forgiveness.

Instead, Judge Morales said Henriquez-Joya should seek forgiveness from the 188 people transported in extremely dangerous conditions, calling it "a wonder nobody died."

The investigation revealed that Henriquez-Joya was part of a human smuggling organization that transported illegal aliens in box trucks, refrigerated trucks, and tractor-trailers.

Authorities tied Henriquez-Joya to multiple smuggling events dating back to October 2024. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement stopped vehicles at checkpoints and discovered hidden compartments and false walls built into the cargo areas to conceal large numbers of illegal aliens. The compartments were sealed shut, had little to no ventilation or air conditioning, and provided no way for those inside to escape.

Forensic evidence recovered from seized cell phones linked Henriquez-Joya to each smuggling event. The phones revealed he recruited drivers and coordinated each trip, including the number of occupants, payments, and pickup and drop-off locations.

Henriquez-Joya will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Griffith and John Lamont prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigrants, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.