A Cuban national has been sentenced to 111 months in federal prison following his involvement in human smuggling and other charges. The sentencing took place in a federal court in El Paso. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement led the investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol.
"Justice was served today for a stash house operator who organized the smuggling of hundreds of illegal aliens and sexually assaulted one of them, all while cramming individuals into tractor-trailers in the sweltering Texas heat," said ICE Homeland Security Investigations El Paso Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens. "HSI is committed to aggressively targeting human smugglers and smuggling organizations that continuously exploit individuals for profit. We will relentlessly pursue these criminals who prey on vulnerable people, ensuring they are held accountable for their actions."
The individual, Humberto Yosvany Arriola-Rivero, 30, was charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, conspiracy to harbor aliens, and sexual assault. Court documents state that he managed a stash house in El Paso and was involved in a vehicle that fled law enforcement while transporting more than a dozen illegal aliens in April 2023. The investigation disclosed that Arriola-Rivero sexually assaulted one of the illegal aliens at the stash house. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 17, 2023, arrested on September 7, 2023, and pleaded guilty on August 27, 2024.
"It’s important to note that Arriola-Rivero is being held responsible not only for the significant role he played in human smuggling operations, but also for his abhorrent decision to further dehumanize and sexually violate one of his victims," said acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. "This sentence makes it clear to smugglers in El Paso and across the southern border, that if you engage in alien smuggling in our district, you will be held accountable."
