Texas Trucker Gets 21 Months for Smuggling 10 Migrants
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos sentenced Robert Martinez Jr., 51, of Needville, Texas, to 21 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, the Justice Department said. Martinez pleaded guilty May 20 after Border Patrol agents stopped his tractor-trailer at a checkpoint near Sarita, Texas, on March 9. He told agents he was hauling onions, then agreed to a vehicle scan that revealed anomalies in the cab. Inspectors found 10 undocumented immigrants hidden inside: some on the top bunk, others under a blanket on the lower bunk, and two in a storage compartment beneath the bunk that left them unable to escape. Officers said those in the compartment were sweating and had flushed faces. The immigrants identified Martinez as the driver. The court weighed those conditions, along with Martinez's prior felony drug convictions, in setting the sentence. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations led the case with Border Patrol's help, as part of the Justice Department's Operation Take Back America initiative targeting human smuggling.
What's next
- Martinez remains in custody pending transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility; no date given.
- DOJ did not announce additional prosecutions tied to this case.
All sources
- Needville trucker sentenced for transporting 10 illegal aliens in hazardous conditions — U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas), 2026-10-15
