US jury convicts three in $5 million migrant-smuggling ring tied to murder
Synopsis
A federal jury in Del Rio, Texas has convicted three members of a $5 million transnational migrant-smuggling ring tied to kidnapping, extortion, and murder — including a killing where the enforcer shot the victim, tried acid disposal, then burned the body in a car and filmed it. Prosecutors say the network kept operating even while some defendants sat in prison.
Key Takeaways
A US federal jury in Del Rio, Texas convicted Israel Ramirez-Perez , Ricardo Rojas Vazquez , and David Christopher Ewell on charges including transportation of migrants resulting in death.
The smuggling organisation generated more than $5 million and operated across the United States and Mexico .
Ramirez-Perez was the group's enforcer and was linked to a kidnapping, an attempted murder, and the murder of Edgar Ponce Campos .
Evidence showed some defendants continued directing the network while incarcerated in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections .
US Attorney Justin R.
Simmons warned that such networks routinely extort migrants and their families even after they enter the US.
A US federal jury in Del Rio, Texas, has convicted three members of a transnational migrant-smuggling organisation that generated more than $5 million and operated a violent criminal network spanning the United States and Mexico, the Justice Department announced on 21 October 2026. The enterprise was linked to kidnapping, extortion, and murder.
Who Was Convicted and on What Charges
The three defendants — Israel Ramirez-Perez, Ricardo Rojas Vazquez, and David Christopher Ewell — were each found guilty of offences involving the transportation of undocumented migrants, including crimes resulting in death and placing human lives in jeopardy.
Ramirez-Perez and Rojas Vazquez were convicted of conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants resulting in death, transportation resulting in death, and conspiracy to transport migrants under life-threatening conditions. Ewell was convicted on similar counts, including conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants resulting in death and transportation resulting in death.
Inside the Criminal Network
According to prosecutors, the organisation was allegedly managed by Alejandro Santoyo-Guzman, whose operations extended across the US-Mexico border. Notably, federal evidence showed that several defendants continued directing the organisation's activities even while incarcerated in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections — a detail that underscores how entrenched such networks can become.
Ewell facilitated smuggling operations alongside his partner and co-conspirator Marcelina Truxillo-Logan. The two communicated with Jessica Castillo-Guzman, another co-defendant who reportedly managed the organisation's financial transactions. Evidence and witness testimony established that the network generated more than $5 million during the course of the conspiracy.
Rojas Vazquez directed operations in Mexico and maintained an equal partnership with Santoyo-Guzman, prosecutors said. Ramirez-Perez served as an enforcer responsible for acts of violence, including a kidnapping, an attempted murder, and a murder.
The Murder of Edgar Ponce Campos
The trial included evidence concerning the killing of Edgar Ponce Campos. Prosecutors said Rojas Vazquez ordered the killing, and Ramirez-Perez shot the victim multiple times. After the shooting, Ramirez-Perez allegedly attempted to dispose of the body using acid; when that failed, he placed the body inside a vehicle, poured petrol over it, and set it on fire. Investigators said he filmed the burning vehicle, fired shots at it, and shared the recording with Santoyo-Guzman. The evidence demonstrated how violence was used to enforce control within the organisation and intimidate those involved.
What Prosecutors Said
US Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas said criminal smuggling networks routinely exploited migrants even after they crossed into the United States. 'Alien Smuggling Organizations care nothing about the lives, hopes and dreams of those they smuggle,' Simmons said. 'They only care about their money,' he added.
Simmons warned that such organisations frequently demanded additional payments from migrants and their families through intimidation and extortion, and that criminal groups sometimes used residential properties in American neighbourhoods to conceal migrants, creating risks for surrounding communities.
What Comes Next
The three convicted defendants face sentencing hearings where the death-resulting charges carry the possibility of significant federal prison terms. The broader investigation into the organisation — including the role of Santoyo-Guzman and co-defendants — is expected to continue through the courts.
Point of View
Financial managers, and operational continuity that survives incarceration. The detail that defendants allegedly kept running the ring from inside an Oklahoma prison is not incidental; it points to systemic gaps in how correctional facilities monitor organised-crime communications. The $5 million figure and the documented use of murder as an internal discipline tool also challenge the persistent framing of smuggling as a victim-free or low-level crime. For US prosecutors, the challenge will be dismantling the network's leadership tier — with alleged organiser Santoyo-Guzman still central to proceedings — before affiliate structures reconstitute under new names.
NationPress
21 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the three people convicted in the US migrant-smuggling case?
The three convicted defendants are Israel Ramirez-Perez , Ricardo Rojas Vazquez , and David Christopher Ewell , all members of a transnational smuggling organisation tried in Del Rio, Texas. They were found guilty of charges including conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants resulting in death.
How much money did the smuggling network generate?
According to evidence and witness testimony presented at trial, the network generated more than $5 million over the course of the conspiracy. The funds were partly managed by co-defendant Jessica Castillo-Guzman .
What role did violence play in the smuggling organisation?
Violence was used to enforce internal control and intimidate those involved. Ramirez-Perez served as the group's enforcer and was linked to a kidnapping, an attempted murder, and the killing of Edgar Ponce Campos , whose body he allegedly tried to destroy using acid before setting it alight in a vehicle.
How did defendants manage the operation from prison?
Federal prosecutors presented evidence that several defendants continued directing the organisation's activities even while held in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections , illustrating the network's resilience and organised structure.
What happens next in the case?
The three convicted defendants face sentencing hearings where the death-resulting charges carry the possibility of substantial federal prison terms. The broader investigation, including the alleged role of organiser Alejandro Santoyo-Guzman , is expected to continue through the courts.
