Texas National Guard soldier found guilty in human smuggling case

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A 27-year-old Texas National Guard soldier has been found guilty of conspiring to smuggle undocumented immigrants into the country, according to Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Mario Sandoval, a Houston resident, was set for sentencing on October 22. Within that time, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

Sandoval was deployed to the U.S.-Mexico Border with the Texas National Guard as part of Operation Lone Star, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The release states Sandoval remained in the Rio Grande Valley and began smuggling undocumented immigrants in July 2024.

Text messages from Sandoval were read by the jury, where he says drivers were needed for trips from the Rio Grande Valley to destinations north of the immigration checkpoint, but surveillance revealed him at the immigration checkpoint during that time.

In October 2024, Sandoval was discharged from the Texas National Guard.

“Thousands of brave men and women, military and civilian alike, work tirelessly to keep our border secure. It is truly disheartening that one bad apple chose to betray his fellow soldiers, his fellow citizens, and his country by engaging in human smuggling," Ganjei stated in the release.