A Venezuelan national has been convicted by a federal jury in El Paso for his role in an illegal alien harboring scheme. Marcel Eliezer Zapata-Colmenarez, 26, was found guilty of conspiracy to harbor aliens following a search of his residence by U.S. Border Patrol agents, the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations, as per an announcement from U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
During the January 30 operation, law enforcement discovered evidence like piles of clothes consistent with human smuggling activities, after Zapata-Colmenarez allowed them into his home, and gave them access to his cell phone. They found “proof-of-life videos” – recordings that, smuggled people send to show they’ve made it across the border. In his admission, Zapata-Colmenarez confirmed he was paid $50 for each individual he harbored. The U.S. Department of Justice reported that he was arrested the same day the authorities came knocking and was later indicted on February 26.
Zapata-Colmenarez is now facing serious time, potentially up to a decade in federal prison, and could also be hit with a fine of up to $250,000. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for later this year on August 26. The case against him was a result of Operation Take Back America, a wide-ranging initiative aimed at clamping down on illegal immigration and criminal activities linked to cartels and transnational criminal organizations…