A South Texas man has pleaded guilty to smuggling 36 undocumented individuals in the back of a tractor-trailer, stating that he was promised $1,000 per person transported across the border. The case, investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol, underscores ongoing human smuggling efforts at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Eusebio Cavazos, 33, of Alamo, admitted to transporting undocumented immigrants and faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled for sentencing on May 15, as ICE reported through an official statement on its website.
"The days of transnational criminal organizations raking in billions in illicit profits each year by trampling on our nation's sovereignty and flooding our country with millions of unvetted aliens who could present a threat to public safety or national security are over." said Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge for ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston, in reference to the case. He also added that:
"The law enforcement community in Southeast Texas is united in our effort to restore law and order along the southern border by aggressively pursuing and dismantling human smuggling organizations and other criminal organizations who are bold enough to test our collective resolve"
According to ICE, Cavazos was stopped on December 13, 2024, at the Border Patrol checkpoint in Sarita, Texas when a canine unit detected possible human presence in his trailer, prompting a secondary inspection.
Authorities then found 36 individuals inside the trailer, which was otherwise empty, including 15 Guatemalans, 10 Hondurans, eight Mexicans, and three Salvadorans. ICE also reported that five individuals had pending charges for illegally re-entering the United States after previous removal.
South Texas man pleads guilty to smuggling 36 illegal aliens in tractor trailer after ICE and @CBP Border Patrol probe: https://t.co/XpmZiPz0ye
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) February 17, 2025
"The days of transnational criminal organizations raking in billions in illicit profits ... by trampling on our nation's sovereignty and... pic.twitter.com/wgXaU38aYb
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith is prosecuting Cavazos' case, and he will remain in custody until sentencing.
The case follows the arrest of a border enforcement officer in El Paso last week, which is accused of allegedly participating in human smuggling and drug trafficking. Federal authorities charged Manuel Pérez Jr., a former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, with conspiring to smuggle undocumented individuals between December 2023 and February 2025.
Pérez allegedly allowed a vehicle driven by an undocumented person to cross into the U.S. multiple times. Additionally, he faces charges for conspiring to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine across multiple states.
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