A 34-year-old truck driver from Alamo, Texas, has been sentenced to the maximum statutory penalty for smuggling people into the United States. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced that Eusebio Cavazos received a 60-month federal prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty on February 13.
U.S. District Judge David Morales imposed the sentence, noting additional sentencing enhancements due to the nature of the crime. These included transporting over 25 individuals, locking them in a cold trailer without escape, and using his skills as a truck driver to facilitate the crime. Judge Morales remarked that he would have given a longer sentence if not restricted by the statutory maximum.
The incident occurred on December 13, 2024, when Cavazos drove a tractor-trailer into a Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita. A K-9 unit detected potential human presence in the trailer during an initial inspection. Authorities found 36 illegal aliens locked inside at secondary inspection with no means of escape in 54-degree conditions.
The group consisted of individuals from Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador. Five had been previously deported and face pending charges for illegal reentry into the U.S. Cavazos admitted he was hired to transport them from near Donna to Houston for $1,000 per person.
"Human smuggling is a dangerous, and sometimes deadly, practice," stated Ganjei. "All it would have taken here is a car accident or a cooling malfunction for these people to have lost their lives."
Cavazos remains in custody awaiting transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime.