The Biden admin left the southern border wide open. It’s way worse than anyone previously thought.
Because Trump’s DOJ has just uncovered and busted up a jaw-dropping illegal migrant scheme.
Federal Authorities Bust Massive Migrant Smuggling Operation
In a significant law enforcement operation, federal authorities have arrested the alleged leaders of one of the largest migrant smuggling rings operating in the United States, marking another substantial success in the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to combat illegal immigration. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the arrests and indictments of Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul, the accused head of the Renoj-Matul transnational criminal organization, his alleged right-hand man Cristobal Mejia-Chaj, and several other defendants.
The accused individuals are said to have led one of the biggest human smuggling rings in the country, responsible for illegally bringing approximately 20,000 migrants into the U.S. between 2019 and July 2024. According to court documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, both Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj are Guatemalan nationals who were living in the U.S. illegally. The two men were arrested last Friday in the Los Angeles area, which served as the operational hub for their criminal enterprise.
The smuggling operation orchestrated by Renoj-Matul and his associates was both vast and intricately coordinated. The operation spanned multiple countries, with associates in Guatemala recruiting migrants and facilitating payments ranging from $15,000 to $18,000 per individual for smuggling services. Once in Mexico, these migrants were moved through the country and across the U.S.-Mexico border, where Renoj-Matul’s subordinates allegedly coordinated further transportation and hid migrants in stash houses across the U.S.
Joseph McNally, Acting U.S. Attorney, described the ruthless nature of this transnational criminal organization. “The transnational criminal organization operated for at least a dozen years and specialized in smuggling illegal immigrants from Guatemala to the United States,” McNally said during a press briefing. He added that the organization’s disregard for both migrant safety and the law was evident in their brutal tactics, particularly toward migrants who could not pay their fees. “Those who did not pay their fees were held hostage, including at a stash house here in the West Lake District of Los Angeles,” McNally continued.
The operation’s impact was deadly. In November 2023, one of the defendants allegedly caused a car crash in Elk City, Oklahoma, while transporting illegal migrants, resulting in the tragic deaths of seven individuals, including a four-year-old child. The ruthless actions of the organization continued to extend beyond smuggling, with one fugitive allegedly threatening federal law enforcement. Helmer Obispo-Hernandez, a fugitive associated with the organization, reportedly threatened to k*ll a federal agent and his family during the execution of search warrants on Friday. McNally shared that Obispo-Hernandez made a chilling phone call, threatening to decapitate the agent and his family.
“The actions of this human smuggling organization demonstrate a complete disregard for the nation’s immigration laws,” McNally emphasized. Each defendant now faces the possibility of life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
The Trump administration has launched a brand-new ad telling illegal aliens to "leave now," and if they don't they will be found and deported. pic.twitter.com/YwY9f4jtNb
— Federation for American Immigration Reform (@FAIRImmigration) February 18, 2025
A Major Blow to the Smuggling Industry
The arrests and takedown of the Renoj-Matul transnational criminal organization represent a significant victory for the Trump administration in its ongoing efforts to combat illegal immigration. The operation highlights the critical role of migrant smugglers in facilitating illegal border crossings, a criminal industry that profits millions of dollars at the expense of vulnerable migrants.
Under the Trump administration, the number of migrant encounters along the U.S.-Mexico border plummeted to levels not seen in decades. In a stark contrast to the current border situation under President Joe Biden, migrant apprehensions in the first full month of Trump’s presidency totaled just 8,326, a figure dwarfed by the roughly 12,600 unlawful crossings on a single day in December 2023 under the Biden administration.
The reduction in border encounters is part of a trend observed by many Latin American officials, with a reverse migratory flow now being seen. Many migrants are reportedly heading back south, expressing regret for attempting to reach the U.S. under the current administration’s policies.
In the operation’s final stages, Border Patrol agents from several sectors participated in the takedown of the smuggling ring. According to Gregory K. Bovino, the chief patrol agent of the Border Patrol’s El Centro Sector, around 50 agents were involved in the operation on Friday. These agents came from various regions, including San Diego, Yuma, and El Centro, as well as members of the Border Patrol Tactical Unit, a highly specialized group.
Bovino noted the importance of proactive border security, stating, “Border security is created. It doesn’t just happen. It’s created through innovation, foreign thinking, and moving the ball down the field.” He continued, “This transnational criminal organization was destroyed, dismantled top to bottom this past Friday, and that’s what we’re after here.”
The dismantling of the Renoj-Matul criminal organization is just one of many steps in the Trump administration’s strategy to tackle illegal immigration and its associated criminal networks. Surveys suggest that Donald Trump is enjoying a hot honeymoon period to the start of his second administration, with the majority of polled Americans saying that Trump is on the right path with implementing his agenda.
Trump admin rounds up 5,500 criminal migrants in less than a week — here are some of the worst https://t.co/NnTGTuuN6P pic.twitter.com/owZmGHZquT
— New York Post (@nypost) January 31, 2025
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
