A Mexican citizen, Efrain Rodriguez-Mendoza, has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to transport and harbor aliens resulting in death. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. This marks the conclusion of a case involving six individuals convicted in a human smuggling scheme that led to the deaths of two people.
Wilmar Rene Duran-Gomez, a 52-year-old Salvadoran citizen residing illegally in Houston, entered his plea on December 9. U.S. Attorney Hamdani commented on the case, stating, "These defendants violated the trust of victims when they agreed to transport them to a safe place in the United States." He further added that instead of ensuring safety, "they brutalized them and beat them to death."
Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - Houston, described the crimes as "pure evil" and among the most reprehensible he had encountered during his 29 years in law enforcement. He warned against relying on human smugglers due to severe potential consequences.
The criminal activities occurred between November 6-17, 2006. Rodriguez-Mendoza and Duran-Gomez harbored illegal aliens in Houston with plans for financial gain through transportation within Texas and beyond.
Duran-Gomez managed a warehouse where illegal aliens were held until their smuggling fees were paid or transportation arranged. Victims were divided into groups based on payment status; those unpaid faced harsh conditions including beatings and lack of basic necessities.
Conspirators demanded payments from families by threatening violence against detained individuals. Two victims died following severe assaults during captivity. Afterward, Rodriguez-Mendoza along with Duran-Gomez and Jose Bolanos attempted unsuccessfully to dispose of the bodies by setting fire to a truck containing them.
Authorities discovered the deceased victims around November 16, 2006. The legal proceedings are being overseen by U.S District Judge Kenneth Hoyt who has set sentencing for March 2025 where both men face life imprisonment alongside possible fines up to $250,000 each.
Both defendants remain detained until their hearing date arrives next year. The investigation was carried out collaboratively by HSI with support from Houston Police Department as well as Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office while Assistant U.S Attorneys Jill Jenkins Stotts together with Lisa M Collins handled prosecution duties related directly toward this particular case.