Eduardo Domingo Rennoj Matul, aka “Turko”, is accused of leading “one of the greatest organizations of Human smuggling In the United States, ”said the prosecutor’s office in a statement.
The 51 -year -old Guatemalan was arrested and charged on February 28 next to what was allegedly his right hand.
The authorities explained that Renoj Matul He made smuggling to approximately 20,000 illegal migrants from Guatemala Towards different destinations in USA For five years, keeping some of them as hostages in hiding houses.
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He is also pointed out to cause the death of seven migrants, including a 4 -year -old boy, who lost their lives in a car accident in November 2023 In Oklahoma.
Renoj Matul was arrested at his residence near the center of Los Angeles, next to the Guatemalan Cristóbal Mejía-Chaj, 49, but was not informed until March 3 by the Prosecutor’s Office. Both were left arrested without the right to bail and his next hearing is scheduled for April 22.
Both detainees are accused of conspiracy to bring foreigners to the United States, transporting them and giving them refuge for lucrative purposes.
They were also accused in this case also the Guatemalans Helmer Bishop Hernandez, 41, which is fugitive, and José Paxtor Oxlaj, 44, a driver of the organization, that is imprisoned in Oklahoma in relation to the car accident of 2023.
Research states that Paxtor Oxlaj He trafficked New York migrants to Los Angeles when the accident occurred And seven passengers died, including a minor.
A separate federal criminal complaint filed on March 2 accuses Bishop Hernández de threaten to cut the heads of an officer of the Research Working Group of the Department of National Security and members of your family.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Renoj-Matul’s partners in Guatemala They charged between US $ 15,000 and US $ 18 per person (Q138 thousand 600)
According to the accusation, this organization operated for at least 12 years And he specialized in the smuggling of migrants from Guatemala to the United States, especially between Phoenix and Los Angeles, as well as their accommodation, hiding places and protection.
RENEJ MATUAL had the help of associates in Guatemala that requested the payment to migrants.
The Mexican smuggling organizations transported migrants through Mexico who crossed the border between the United States and that country, in Arizona, where they were held in hiding places and were finally collected by the lieutenants of Renoj-Matul.
The accusation also indicates that migrants were transported, by an additional rate, to various destinations, including angels.
If they are convicted of all charges, accused would face life imprisonment or death penalty.
Border security is a priority for US President Donald Trump, who declared a national emergency on the border with Mexico on his first day in office.
“These smuggling organizations have no respect for human life and their behavior kills,” said the United States interim prosecutor Joseph T. McNally.