Human smugglers head to federal prison after recruiting drivers on social media

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Two Houston residents have been sentenced following their convictions for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Richard Dell Carroll II, 26, and Josue Isaac Hernandez aka Dre, 23, pleaded guilty May 28 and April 3, respectively, admitting they worked together to recruit drivers from around the country to smuggle illegal aliens to Houston in exchange for money.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now imposed a 66-month term of imprisonment for both men to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.

At the hearing, the court heard how Carroll lied about his background, falsely claiming Tesla employed him and that he was enrolled at Rice University. Evidence showed Carroll portrayed himself as an entrepreneur and financial adviser to those he recruited, offering to invest their illegal proceeds despite having no qualifications. In imposing the sentence, Judge Morales told Carroll he needed to focus on his integrity in the future and that he should not embellish things in person or online because when people believe it, it could lead to fraud.

Hernandez had used his illegal gains to fund a lavish lifestyle that included international trips and private jets.

Testimony also detailed the inhumane conditions the smuggled aliens faced. In one instance, a seven-year-old girl was sweating inside a plastic bin after being separated from her mother. In another, authorities discovered two young women hidden in a fake speaker box in a trunk which reached temperatures of 102.4 degrees.

The court heard that law enforcement had apprehended more than 100 aliens during at least 53 failed smuggling attempts that could be definitively linked to Carroll and Hernandez.

In December 2022, authorities began linking a series of smuggling attempts after repeatedly encountering illegal aliens hidden in fake speaker boxes inside car trunks and in large plastic totes concealed with sheets. The investigation revealed Hernandez and Carroll were the coordinators and had recruited drivers through Instagram and other social media platforms. Law enforcement also uncovered shopping lists Hernandez and Carroll sent to drivers and discovered they had arranged the installation of the fake speaker boxes. They also charged drivers $1,000 per alien to recover costs.

Hernandez and Carroll will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Pena prosecuted the case.