Individuals accused in deadly smuggling ring remain in federal custody
Feb. 8—At least four individuals accused of running an human smuggling ring that resulted in the deaths of eight migrants will remain in federal custody, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
Juan Manuel Tena, 39, of Pharr, Julia Isairis Torres, 37, Israel Torres Jr., 33, Erasmo Garcia III, 21, and Alexis Rafael Adorno, all of Roma, and Jose Refugio Torres, 26, of Austin, are said to be members of the ring that transported migrants without documentation from the Rio Grande Valley to areas throughout the United States.
Tena, Israel Torres, Garcia and Adorno have all entered a not guilty plea, federal court documents reflect.
No information on pleadings pertaining to Julia Isairis Torres and Jose Refugio Torres was available.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III ruled Tuesday that Tena, Israel Torres, Garcia and Adorno be held without bond.
According to federal court documents, Julia Isairis Torres was not medically cleared to appear before Torteya, and Jose Refugio Torres was arrested Monday in Austin.
The six are named in a federal indictment, and according to the indictment, Tena was the alleged leader of the human smuggling ring and coordinated a network of co-conspirators throughout the Southern District of Texas.
Tena and his co-conspirators allegedly conspired to transport people from the Rio Grande Valley to destinations within the United States.
As a result of that conspiracy, a total of eight people were killed and two others seriously injured, according to the charges.
The indictment alleges all engaged in a conspiracy to transport people illegally resulting in death as well as of committing multiple counts of transporting people in the country illegally resulting in death.
Tena, Julia Torres, Israel Torres, Jose Torres, and Garcia are all charged with the attempted smuggling of people in March 2019 by motor vehicle from the Rio Grande Valley to Houston.
The charges allege that during the failed attempt, a vehicle rolled over and caused the deaths of four non-U.S. citizens with serious injuries to one other.
The indictment also charges Tena along with Adorno with the attempted smuggling of people in February 2022 by watercraft from South Padre Island to the Corpus Christi area. The watercraft allegedly capsized, four people were killed and another seriously injured.
All face up to life in prison a possible $250,000 maximum fine for the conspiracy and up to 20 years for each count of transporting people in the country illegally resulting in serious bodily injury.
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