A judge sentenced a Mission man to 21 years in federal prison after abandoning a woman he was smuggling to Houston because she was menstruating, leaving her to die in the brush on the side of a rural highway.
Nelson Bahena-Garcia, 43, pleaded guilty Nov. 2, 2021 to conspiracy to commit hostage-taking and was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Rainey to serve time in federal prison.
On May 28, 2018, U.S. Border Patrol advised Homeland Security Investigations-Corpus Christi about a man named Daniel Rios-Perez who was concerned for his fiancee, Heidy Yosselin Brizuela-Contreras, a native of Honduras.
The descriptions given by Rios-Perez matched the features of a woman who was found dead by deputies with the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office, according to the criminal complaint.
Rios-Perez told authorities his fiancee was traveling with two people from Edinburg and a smuggler, later identified as Bahena-Garcia, who he had been in contact with via text message, according to the complaint, which said Bahena-Garcia had previously assisted Rios-Perez to enter the country illegally along with other members of his family.
During their investigation, authorities reviewed messages between Rios-Perez and Bahena-Garcia in which he told Rios-Perez that Brizuela-Contreas began bleeding so excessively that she lost consciousness, the complaint stated.
He added that she had to be carried by the group to the vehicle that was taking the group to Houston.
A companion heard her plea for her life before being left, saying “please don’t leave me,” according to a news release.
She was then left on the side of Highway 59 in rural Victoria City.
During their investigation, authorities found Brizuela-Contreas “nude in a ditch” around 10 a.m. with indications of assault before her death, according to the complaint.
Bahena-Garcia appeared in court Tuesday where more evidence was presented showing that he was running a stash house where he would threaten and intimidate victims and refuse to release them for medical care during smuggling attempts, according to a news release.
He reached a plea deal with prosecutors, who moved to dismiss charges of conspiracy to transport people in the country illegally; bringing and harboring people in the country illegally; illegal re-entry and hostage taking, which the judge granted.
