Smuggler sentenced after confessing he transported more than 2,500 illegal immigrants into the US

A Texas smuggler will spend years behind bars after confessing to having brought over 2,500 illegal immigrants into the US.Isai Orona, also known as “Panda,” was sentenced to four and a half years in federal prison for conspiracy to transport aliens and transporting aliens, the US Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Texas said Wednesday.Court documents revealed Orona, 35, was the ringleader behind a well-organized human smuggling scheme.Officials said Orona, who is originally from Horizon City, used instant messaging service WhatsApp to coordinate the criminal activity.His WhatsApp chat ultimately helped authorities positively identify Orona, the attorney’s office said.He admitted to smuggling over 2,500 illegal aliens over a six-month period in 2023, taking many to Albuquerque, New Mexico.Orona also admitted to having a network of drivers and 12 different cars used to transport the illegal immigrants.

He either obtained or helped obtain all of the vehicles used to smuggle people in.US Border Patrol agents also apprehended a co-conspirator of Orona’s who had been transporting nine undocumented individuals in El Paso using a vehicle registered to Orona.Orona was arrested on Nov.

20, 2023, and pleaded guilty on July 12, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens and one count of transporting aliens.In addition to his 54-month sentence in federal prison, the court entered a money judgment against him in the amount of $250,000....