Guatemala-to-US Smuggling Ring Dismantled

Federal authorities have dismantled a major human smuggling ring led by Guatemalan national Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul, who allegedly orchestrated the illegal entry of about 20,000 migrants into the United States over a period of up to 12 years. The operation, known as the Turko Organization, involved holding migrants hostage for ransom, and was linked to a 2023 car crash in Oklahoma that resulted in the deaths of seven migrants, including a four-year-old child. Renoj-Matul, along with his associate Cristobal Mejia-Chaj, was arrested in Los Angeles, while another accomplice, Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj, is already serving a sentence in Oklahoma for the crash. A fourth suspect, Helmer Obispo-Hernandez, remains at large and has threatened violence against law enforcement officers. The indictment charges them with conspiracy to bring and harbor aliens for financial gain, resulting in death, and hostage-taking. This bust highlights ongoing concerns about the disregard for immigration laws by smuggling organizations operating between Guatemala and the U.S.