A 35-year-old man from Laredo, Texas, has received a prison sentence for his involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle more than 1,900 undocumented individuals for profit. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Danny Nunez pleaded guilty on February 6, 2025. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo sentenced him to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, Nunez was ordered to serve 12 months for violating supervised release related to a prior federal felony conviction, bringing his total sentence to 132 months.
During the sentencing hearing, the court reviewed evidence about Nunez’s leadership role in a human smuggling organization that provided comprehensive services for harboring and transporting undocumented individuals within the United States. Authorities stated that Nunez worked directly with Cartel del Noreste (CDN) and facilitated the smuggling of over 1,900 people, resulting in significant illicit profits for both CDN and himself.
The court described the operation as highly sophisticated and noted that this case involved the largest number of people smuggled and the most prolific smuggler encountered by Judge Marmolejo.
Investigators linked Nunez to multiple smuggling incidents since March 2023. In one event in December of that year, authorities observed several individuals being loaded into a white trailer at a warehouse. A subsequent search found 101 undocumented individuals inside the trailer, including 12 unaccompanied minors. Some reported breathing difficulties and fear for their safety due to poor conditions inside.
When Nunez was arrested, law enforcement searched his residence and found cellphones, ledgers documenting smuggling activity, more than $36,000 in cash proceeds, and two undocumented individuals present.
Nunez remains in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations; FBI; Texas Department of Public Safety; Border Patrol; with support from Customs and Border Protection; Laredo Police Department; Drug Enforcement Administration; and Webb County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes like this case across its jurisdiction from Houston to the Mexican border, covering over nine million residents across 43 counties (official website). The office partners with federal, state, and local agencies to investigate such crimes (official website), employing more than 200 attorneys (official website) under the leadership appointed by the President with Senate confirmation (official website). The district's headquarters is located in Houston (official website).
