McALLEN, Texas – A McAllen man and a Tamaulipas woman in Mexico have been convicted of organizing and participating in the smuggling of several hundred people, US Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced in a statement.
Derly Crescencio Medina, 27, of McAllen, and Jessica Dinora Peña Rodríguez, 48, of Tamaulipas, Mexico, pleaded guilty on May 23 and 30, respectively.
Chief District Judge Randy Crane ordered Medina serve 108 months in prison followed immediately by three years of supervised release. Peña Rodríguez was sentenced to 78 months in prison. As she is not a US citizen, she is expected to face removal proceedings upon her conviction. In imposing the prison terms, the judge noted that it was clear that the two had been co-leaders and organizers for a long period of time.
Both also acted as facilitators for the organization from at least August 2021 until their arrest in February 2023.
The investigation revealed that Medina and Peña organized and participated in the smuggling of several hundred people during that time. The duo controlled the entire smuggling operation, from posting smuggling ads on social media to coordinating Rio Grande crossings and transportation to hideouts in McAllen to arranging transportation around checkpoints. immigration to enter the United States.
According to the statement, the duo also handled large amounts of money from people smuggling. In addition, they received tens of thousands of dollars in commissions for the smuggling of undocumented aliens and transferred large sums to their partners in Mexico.
Peña and Medina also housed undocumented aliens at their residence waiting to be transported to the United States. Medina even transported foreigners himself. On one occasion, in December 2021, security forces detained him near the Rio Grande while he was transporting seven undocumented foreigners in his vehicle. Medina provided a false Mexican identity and avoided prosecution at the time by allowing himself to be wrongly removed to Mexico. Hours later, he re-entered the United States using his real identity.
The Peña Medina network included other accomplices, including nine people who have been successfully prosecuted.
