An undocumented immigrant who lived in Los Angeles pleaded guilty Friday to leading what authorities say was one of the largest human smuggling operations in the United States.
Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul, 52, pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy, transporting and harboring undocumented immigrants, and hostage taking, the Department of Justice announced. He has been in federal custody since February 2025.
Prosecutors say Renoj-Matul, who went by the nicknames “Turko,” “El Jefe,” “Patron” and “El Gallo,” collected payments of $15,000 to $18,000 to smuggle immigrants from Guatemala into the United States through Mexico using a network of drivers and safe houses.
One stash house was located on James M. Wood Boulevard in the Westlake district of Los Angeles, according to the DOJ…