A Mexican citizen, Jesus Ernesto Dessens-Romero, 28, was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for his role in a dangerous human smuggling operation.
Dessens-Romero was convicted in November 2023 by a jury trial on charges of conspiracy to transport and transport undocumented immigrants for profit, as well as bringing undocumented immigrants into the United States for profit.
“Human smugglers profit from the exploitation of migrants and routinely expose them to violence, injury, and death,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s sentence shows the Justice Department will continue to hold accountable these smugglers and the criminal networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants.”
Read: California ICE Agents Remove Mexican National Fugitive
The case stemmed from Dessens-Romero’s arrest in June 2021 by the Tennessee Highway Patrol while transporting two undocumented migrants.
This arrest, part of a coordinated effort by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), led to the unraveling of a wider smuggling network.
Established in 2021, the JTFA combines investigative and prosecutorial resources from the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security to combat human smuggling and trafficking organizations. The Dessens-Romero case exemplifies the success of this collaboration.
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