Two Alleged Guatemalan Smugglers Arrested for Trafficking 20K Immigrants

Two Guatemalan nationals suspected of smuggling thousands of immigrants into the United States illegally, in an operation which led to the deaths of at least seven, were charged by the U.S. Department of Justice Monday.

Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul, known as “Turko,” and his lieutenant, Cristobal Mejia-Chaj, were taken into custody on Friday and have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges related to migrant smuggling over a five-year period, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The indictment identifies Renoj-Matul as the leader of an extensive smuggling network that has been operating for at least 12 years, primarily transporting migrants from Guatemala to the U.S.

Why It Matters

The Trump administration has promised to tackle human smuggling and drug trafficking by transnational criminal gangs and individuals as part of its sweeping measures to tackle border security. Those responsible often hold immigrants hostage on U.S. soil while they seek payments from family members and loved ones.

What To Know

According to the DOJ, Renoj-Matul, 51, ran the human smuggling ring, which brought around 20,000 illegal immigrants into the U.S. from Guatemala over five years.

Some of those smuggled by the group were held in so-called stash houses across the U.S., where at least seven died, including a 4-year-old girl who died in a car accident in Oklahoma in November 2023.

Renoj-Matul and his gang charged migrants between $15,000 and $18,000 to get to the U.S., the indictment alleged. Aided by Mexican smugglers, the immigrants were illegally brought over the border into Arizona, where they were held in stash houses before being moved elsewhere for an additional fee.

At one point, Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj, 49, held two victims hostage because they had not paid their fees. They threatened to kill the victims unless a third party paid up, the DOJ said.

Helmer Obispo-Hernandez, 41, and Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj, 44, a lieutenant and driver within the organization, were charged alongside the pair.

Paxtor-Oxlaj was already being held in an Oklahoma jail over the deadly car crash. He was allegedly driving the seven migrants between New York and Los Angeles. He had already been deported once in 2010.

When federal agents arrived to arrest Obispo-Hernandez, he allegedly threatened to cut off the heads of a Homeland Security Investigations Task Force officer and his family members. He faces a separate criminal complaint linked to that alleged threat.

All four suspects were charged with one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States, transporting aliens in the United States, and harboring aliens in the United States for private financial gain and resulting in death.

Federal agents detained two other suspected members of the group on Friday.

Rolando Gomez-Gomez, aka “Chaka,” 39, was charged with one count of being an illegal alien in the country following removal. Juan Lopez Garcia, aka “Boxer,” 41, was arrested over a civil removal matter.

What People Are Saying

Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally, in a press release: “These smuggling organizations have no regard for human life and their conduct kills. Their members pose a danger to the public and law enforcement. We must vigorously enforce our immigration laws so that these organizations cannot operate. The indictment and arrests here have dismantled one of the country’s largest and most dangerous smuggling organizations.”

Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles Acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco, in a press release: “Every day, similar human smuggling organizations put profits ahead of the safety in these reckless and illegal endeavors. HSI Los Angeles and our partners are committed to continue identifying and dismantling these organizations so no further lives are lost and our borders are secure.”

What Happens Next

A federal judge ordered Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj to remain jailed without bond until their trial scheduled for April 22.

This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.

Update 3/3/25, 5:18 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.