The Brief
- A Texas man was sentenced to 14 years in a smuggling scheme tied to two deaths.
- Prosecutors say the group moved at least 100 migrants and made over $1M.
- Another defendant in the case is set to be sentenced next week.
DEL RIO, Texas – A Texas resident was one of the defendants to be sentenced this week for his role in an immigrant smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of two undocumented migrants.
Texas smuggling operation sentences
Jerry Lee Anderson, 29, is a resident of Spring, located near Houston. He, along with Orlin Wilfredo Padilla-Murillo, 25, an undocumented immigrant from Honduras, was sentenced to prison this week by Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses, according to a Friday release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas.
Anderson was sentenced to 14 years in prison, and Padilla-Murillo received a little less than 16 years. Michael Demond Kennedy, an “alien smuggling organization” (ASO) member, was also sentenced in recent weeks, and received 7.25 years for his role.
Another co-defendant, Rashad Jermaine Joshua, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7.
Texas deadly smuggling operation
The backstory:…