Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A Roma resident, Felipe Montez, has been sentenced for his involvement in alien smuggling, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Montez, aged 32, pleaded guilty to the charges on January 23, 2025. He has been given a federal prison sentence of 46 months, with an additional three years of supervised release, as ordered by Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane.
Montez's conviction stems from a series of human smuggling incidents, including an attempt on December 23, 2024, to transport seven illegal aliens. This event took place near the Rio Grande River by Escobares, where Montez was apprehended while waiting in a vehicle as individuals ran toward him. Upon spotting law enforcement, Montez and the aliens attempted to flee but were caught by authorities.
In the seven months before his federal arrest in December 2024, Montez had four prior state arrests related to human smuggling. Several of these incidents involved evading law enforcement and resulted in injuries to aliens in his vehicle. The court referred to these dangerous activities as part of the sentencing decision.
"If you smuggle, assist, or attempt to bring people into this country illegally, you are going to serve federal time," Ganjei stated. "The Department of Justice is going to be relentless in its pursuit of those that make their money violating our nation’s immigration laws."
Montez was identified to have been involved in a total of five smuggling attempts in the Roma region, involving 41 illegal aliens overall. He is currently in custody, awaiting transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Roma Police Department. U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan was in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and safeguarding communities from violent crime perpetrators. Operation Take Back America integrates the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
