A La Villa man has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for conspiring to transport 27 undocumented immigrants in a refrigerated trailer, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Reynaldo Del Castillo, 35, pleaded guilty earlier this year. On September 9, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos sentenced him to 46 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. During the sentencing hearing, the court reviewed evidence describing the hazardous conditions inside the trailer where the individuals were transported. The judge also noted Del Castillo’s prior convictions for bulk cash smuggling and transporting undocumented immigrants, as well as the fact that he was on supervised release when he committed this offense.
“Any person who endangers lives by engaging in human smuggling deserves a serious sentence. Any person who smuggles people more than once is telling his fellow citizens that he has no regard for human life,” said Ganjei. “Here, a single technological malfunction could have cost the lives of 24 people, including two children. The Southern District of Texas is working hard to either put these smugglers out of business, or put them in prison. The choice is theirs.”
The incident occurred on January 5 when Del Castillo drove a tractor-trailer with a white refrigerated container to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint. He told agents he was hauling limes, but authorities became suspicious after observing his nervous behavior and following a K-9 alert on the trailer. A secondary inspection revealed 27 undocumented immigrants lying atop produce pallets inside the trailer set at approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit; two of those found were minors.
Del Castillo will remain in custody until he is transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Izaak Bruce prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and targeting criminal organizations through collaboration between its Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood program.
