‘Coyote’ who smuggled Mexican nationals to Sacramento pleads guilty in federal court
A man charged with smuggling Mexican nationals into the U.S. for money, and who was identified as a so-called “coyote” following a tip from a Sacramento resident, entered a guilty plea Monday in federal court.
Mateo Gomez Gonzalez, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to unlawful transportation of noncitizens without status in the United States, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California court said in a Monday news release.
In a criminal complaint filed Oct. 3, prosecutors said Gomez was part of a smuggling ring that brought Mexican nationals into the country through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
According to an affidavit filed by a Department of Homeland Security special agent, law enforcement officials learned of the smuggling when a Sacramento resident contacted Los Rios Community College District police in late September following a payment dispute.
The person told authorities he’d arranged for his sister-in-law and family friend to be brought from Mexico to Sacramento for a payment of $11,000, with $1,300 due when both were delivered to Sacramento.
However, according to the affidavit, Gomez instead insisted on $2,600, or $1,300 per passenger, and the reporting party was told that if he did not pay the higher amount, that Gomez would drive off with sister-in-law and family friend toward Oregon. Gomez threatened to drop the pair off “at an unknown stash house,” according to the U.S. Attorney news release.
The reporting party then called law enforcement and filed missing persons reports for the two.
Gomez was arrested Sept. 28 near the Yolo County town of Dunnigan, at a Pilot Travel Center gas station, found with the two passengers reporting missing as well as two other travelers, according to the affidavit. None of the four passengers had lawful status in the U.S.
Gomez is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 23. He faces a maximum of five years in prison per each person smuggled.
