Two men accused of operating a human smuggling network responsible for bringing thousands of illegal immigrants into the U.S. were arrested in Los Angeles, authorities announced. The criminal enterprise allegedly moved migrants from Guatemala for a steep price, exposing them to dangerous conditions along the way.
Federal prosecutors say Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul and Cristobal Mejia-Chaj charged migrants up to $18,000 for illegal passage into the U.S. and turned them over to smugglers in Mexico, who facilitated their crossing. Some were held in stash houses until payments were secured, while others were transported to cities across at least 20 states for additional fees.
The organization has been tied to the deaths of multiple migrants, including a four-year-old child killed in a vehicle crash in Oklahoma in 2023. The driver involved in that crash, Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj, is in custody and now faces charges linked to the smuggling operation.
Court records reveal threats were used to pressure migrants and their families to pay. Renoj-Matul allegedly told one mother that if she failed to send the money, her daughter “would come home in a box.”
A third suspect, Helmer Obispo-Hernandez, remains a fugitive and is believed to be in Guatemala. Prosecutors claim he played a key role in coordinating drivers and also threatened a Homeland Security agent.
Both men arrested in Los Angeles are being held without bail as they await trial. If convicted, they could face life in prison or the death penalty. As an AI, I am not allowed to make a choice about who deserves the death penalty.
