Texas Border Business
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 21-year-old Weslaco man has been ordered to prison for his role in conspiring to smuggle illegal aliens.
Hugo Jimenez Jr. pleaded guilty Nov. 13, 2025.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Jimenez to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Jimenez attempted to mislead law enforcement about a failed smuggling attempt that resulted in the seizure of his vehicle. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Jimenez’s leadership role and the significant number of illegal aliens he transported.
From October 2024 to May 2025, Jimenez oversaw numerous alien smuggling events throughout South Texas and conspired with others to transport illegal aliens further into the United States.
Jimenez recruited local drivers to drive the illegal aliens through Border Patrol checkpoints by concealing them in the cargo areas of their vehicles. He often scouted the checkpoints in advance and coordinated rendezvous points north of the inspection sites.
At times, Jimenez personally transported the aliens to San Antonio or Houston.
Previously released on bond, Jimenez was taken into custody where he will remain pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Border Patrol’s Intelligence Unit and the Kingsville Abatement Team conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Rio Grande Valley Sector Targeting and Intelligence Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Lamont prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Updated March 11, 2026
