A 31-year-old man from South Texas has been sentenced to federal prison for smuggling dozens of people into the United States on two occasions, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei confirmed. Joe Adam Escobedo, who pleaded guilty on September 26, 2024, will serve his prison sentence for the illegal activities.
U.S. District Judge David Morales has sentenced Escobedo to a total of 69 months in federal prison. The sentence includes 57 months for each case, to be served concurrently, and an additional 12 months to be served consecutively. Following the prison term, Escobedo will also be placed on three years of supervised release. The court observed that Escobedo committed the second offense while out on bond for the first, which involved 42 individuals. As a result, the consecutive sentence was imposed.
“The Southern District of Texas will vigorously pursue alien smuggling cases, given the risk they pose both to the persons smuggled as well as the public at large,” said Ganjei. He highlighted the dangers of tractor-trailer smuggling, citing the confined space and unpredictable Texas weather as potential hazards.
On April 12, 2024, Escobedo drove up to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint in a tractor-trailer, stating that he was transporting pineapples to Michigan. However, a K-9 detected something suspicious, leading to a thorough inspection. As a result, authorities discovered seven undocumented immigrants from El Salvador and Mexico concealed in the sleeper area of the tractor. Escobedo faced charges of alien smuggling but was later released on bond.
On June 11, 2024, Escobedo came back to the same checkpoint driving a refrigerated tractor-trailer. Law enforcement officers immediately noticed his nervous behavior and decided to conduct a more thorough inspection. To their surprise, they found a total of 42 individuals from Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico, all of whom were in the United States illegally.
Escobedo will remain in custody until he is transferred to a facility operated by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine K. Tucker handled the prosecution.
