Smuggler sentenced to 97 months in prison

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Victor Ubaldo Hernandez-Ortega, 33, received a 97-month prison sentence for "conspiracy to transport aliens." That is according to federal prosecutors involved in the case.

Officials say Hernandez-Ortega, who is from Durango, Mexico, worked as a load driver for a known human smuggler. They explain that Hernandez-Ortega would pick up migrants in El Paso and transport them to Albuquerque. Officials say Hernandez-Ortega would charge $100 to $500 per migrant. He is also accused of overseeing two stash houses that harbored more than 200 migrants.

Officers arrested Hernandez-Ortega on August 21, 2024 and he pleaded guilty on December 20, 2024.