Illegal alien sentenced for cartel-linked conspiracy to smuggle over 1900 aliens

LAREDO, Texas - A 27-year-old Mexican national illegally residing in Laredo has been ordered to federal prison for her role in a multi-year conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens for financial gain, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

Giovana Lozano Hernandez pleaded guilty Sept. 3, 2025.

U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now ordered Hernandez to serve 70 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face removal proceedings following her imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that the large-scale human smuggling organization operated as a "one-stop shop" for harboring and transporting illegal aliens on the United States side of the border. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the depth of her involvement and significant responsibility she had in this large-scale human smuggling organization. Further, the court noted the dangerous individuals involved in this organization.

The investigation revealed Hernandez served as the group's de facto chief financial officer, managing its books and finances alongside her husband, Danny Nunez. The couple worked directly with Cartel del Noreste and helped smuggle over 1,900 aliens which resulted in a substantial amount of illicit profits for both the CDN and the couple.

Authorities tied Hernandez to multiple smuggling events dating back to March 2023. In one December 2023 incident, authorities observed several people being loaded into a white trailer at a warehouse. A subsequent search uncovered 101 aliens inside the trailer, including 12 unaccompanied minors.

Several of the aliens reported difficulty breathing and feared for their lives due to the trailer's conditions.

A search of the couple's home led to the discovery of cellphones, ledgers documenting smuggling activity, more than $36,000 in proceeds and two illegal aliens on the premises. Authorities also identified numerous digital images of paper ledgers and illegal aliens as well as voice messages exchanged between Hernandez and others detailing the transportation, housing and financial accountability for aliens who had already been transported and harbored.

Nunez, 35, was previously ordered to serve 10 years in federal prison Jan. 7.

Hernandez 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, FBI, Border Patrol and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department and ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling 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 immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.