A Mexican national, Efrain Zuniga-Garcia, appeared in court in Del Rio, Texas, following his extradition from Mexico. Zuniga-Garcia faces charges connected to his involvement in a large-scale international alien smuggling organization.
A federal grand jury indicted Zuniga-Garcia in September 2023 on charges of conspiring to smuggle individuals from various countries into the United States for financial profit. According to court documents, the organization operated between November 2020 and September 2023 and facilitated the illegal entry of thousands of people from Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador across the U.S.-Mexico border. The group managed stash houses in Monterrey and Piedras Negras, Mexico.
The operation involved several actors across different countries. A Pakistani smuggler based in Brazil initially contracted with migrants and coordinated with associates in San Antonio, Texas, including Honduran national Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga. Mejia-Zuniga directed operations and paid those responsible for transporting migrants and operating stash houses. He admitted that the group smuggled between 2,500 to 3,000 people into the United States over two years and charged each migrant fees ranging from $6,500 to $12,000.
Zuniga-Garcia was responsible for running a stash house in Monterrey and worked with others to transport individuals to the border area before they were guided across by “coyotes.” He was arrested by Mexican authorities in October 2024 at the request of U.S. officials. His extradition resulted from cooperation between law enforcement agencies in both countries.
He is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring illegal aliens into the United States and three counts related to bringing them in for profit. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of five years imprisonment.
Other defendants have also faced prosecution as part of this case. Monica Hernadez-Palma was extradited earlier this year; she pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing later this fall. Mejia-Zuniga received a ten-year prison sentence.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti stated: “An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) offices in Del Rio and Washington D.C., Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
Prosecution is being handled by Trial Attorneys Jenna Reed and Bethany Allen from the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP).
The indictment stems from efforts led by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force Program—initiatives designed to target human smuggling organizations operating throughout North America and beyond. JTFA brings together personnel from multiple federal agencies along with support from components within the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Since its inception JTFA has contributed to hundreds of arrests related to human smuggling activity domestically and internationally.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative utilizing resources from programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) aimed at disrupting organized criminal networks involved in illegal immigration activities.
