Man sentenced in deadly human smuggling case

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A man was sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison for his involvement in smuggling a migrant who died, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

Jose Guadalupe Antonio-Arredondo, 23, admitted to assisting in smuggling a migrant as a river guide on July 12, 2024.

He led the migrant and a brush guide across the river to the border wall, before returning to Mexico.

According to the U.S Attorney's office, the migrant had trouble breathing and collapsed shortly after crossing.

The brush guide ran to a nearby house to hide from the authorities.

Authorities found the migrant and took him to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The migrant was pronounced dead on July 17, five days after he crossed.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered Antonio-Arredondo to serve two and a half years in federal prison. Since Antonio-Arredondo is not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his prison sentence.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.