A husband and wife tied to a human smuggling ring that involved almost $700,000 in human smuggling fees pleaded guilty to smuggling charges in federal court Tuesday, according to authorities.
Linda Estrada and Servando Estrada, ages unknown, appeared before U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., each pleading guilty to one count of harboring for commercial or private gain and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to officials. They admitted to harboring 40 undocumented immigrants, federal court documents reflect.
Linda Estrada was sentenced to 18 months in the federal bureau of prisons to be followed by two years of supervised release. She was ordered to surrender to U.S. Marshals Sept. 16.
Servando Estrada was sentenced to 42 months in the federal bureau of prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was remanded to the custody of U.S. Marshals.
The smuggling incident unfolded May 22, 2018, when troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted a traffic stop on a tractor-trailer near Raymondville, according to a summary fact sheet in the case.
The troopers had been following the tractor-trailer after they had received information that it was being used in possible illegal activity in Edinburg. After receiving consent from the driver to search the tractor-trailer, the troopers found the 86 undocumented immigrants inside, the summary fact sheet stated.
An undocumented immigrant from Guatemala told agents with Homeland Security Investigations that he had paid $6,000 to smugglers to take him into the United States. He said once he was crossed at the Rio Grande, he was taken to a residence in Alamo and that the Estradas were his caretakers, according to the summary fact sheet. The undocumented immigrant said they were given instructions “not to make noise and the rules for eating while there.”
The immigrants were at the home for seven days and were then placed into the tractor-trailer by other smugglers. Another undocumented immigrant from Honduras said he paid $8,000 to be smuggled into the U.S. and that he too was placed in the care of the Estradas, the summary fact sheet reads.
According to the summary fact sheet, HIS agents had already started an immigrant smuggling and money laundering case investigation on the Estradas that included receiving and distributing smuggling fees “through use of money wire facilities and banks.”
The total amount obtained from the smuggling fees was about $669,404.33 with the Estradas receiving $33,500 as “personal benefit from the conspiracy,” the summary fact sheet states
The Estradas opened bank accounts at Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Chase banks and it was at these banks where fees from the smuggling operation were deposited by others, authorities said. A total of $540, 729.99 was deposited in cash in these accounts from 2013 to 2019 in 343 transactions from 21 different states, two countries and 74 from within Texas, according to the summary fact sheet.
In addition, they received and withdrew $128,674.34 from others at Money Gram and Western Union, officials said.
The couple was arrest in February 2020 and when questioned by authorities Servando admitted he smuggled undocumented immigrants for several years, authorities said. He said he received anywhere from $40 to $50 for every $1,000 charged in smuggling fees, the summary fact sheet reads.
Linda said she would help the undocumented immigrants but did not get paid for that, according to authorities. She said the money in the bank accounts was to “pay for people coming in,” and that when they would come to her, she would withdraw the money and give it to her husband, according to the summary fact sheet.
A review of Linda Estrada’s cellphone revealed multiple conversations and text messages in WhatsApp, “indicating not only actual knowledge on the part of Linda Estrada but direct involvement by her and Servando in the,” smuggling and money/receipt transfers, the summary fact sheet states.
The couple later confessed to harboring the undocumented immigrants and opening back accounts to the purpose of receiving and withdrawing smuggling deposit, authorities said..
