Two men are headed to federal prison this week after being sentenced in unrelated human smuggling cases, one of which involved a braggadocious illegal trafficking ring.
Hosmel Vences, 29, of Houston, received a 48-month federal prison sentence for leading a scheme that smuggled at least 75 illegal aliens into the United States. Meanwhile, Felipe Montez, 32, of Roma, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison following his fifth known smuggling attempt — despite already having four prior state arrests for similar offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Vences pleaded guilty last May but objected to sentencing enhancements tied to his leadership, recklessness, and the use of firearms during his crimes. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos overruled those objections, however, saying Vences was aware of any firearms that drivers he recruited possessed and was responsible for the actions of the network of smugglers operating out of Brownsville that he oversaw.
Prosecutors said Vences personally coordinated transportation logistics, managed payments, and even bragged about his profits from human smuggling on social media.
“The human smuggling business is all about money and nothing else,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “These smugglers don’t care about the lives of those that they transport, nor do they care about the impact their business has on American communities.”
Vences is being held in federal custody pending assignment to a Bureau of Prisons facility.
In a separate case out of McAllen, Montez pleaded guilty in January to his role in a December 2024 smuggling attempt involving seven illegal aliens near the city of Escobares. According to the DOJ, Montez was caught waiting by the Rio Grande as illegal aliens ran toward his vehicle — only to scatter after the Border Patrol arrived on the scene.
Montez’s arrest in 2024 allegedly capped off a months-long spree of smuggling attempts in the Roma area. The court that heard his case learned that several prior incidents involved high-speed chases and injuries to passengers. In total, Montez’s crimes spanned five documented smuggling events and involved 41 illegal aliens.
Montez, like Vences, remains in custody awaiting transfer to a designated federal prison.
Both cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a multi-agency strategy targeting illegal immigration, human and drug trafficking, cartels, and translation criminal organizations.
The nationwide crackdown, spearheaded by the DOJ, leverages resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods. The initiative also extends federal prison sentences for human smugglers and imposes harsher penalties on repeat offenders.
DOJ officials said they are far from finished in their fight against human smuggling.
“The Department of Justice is going to be relentless in its pursuit of those that make their money violating our nation’s immigration laws,” Ganjei said.