Illegal immigrant arrested for leading smuggling ring that trafficked 20,000 people into U.S.

An illegal immigrant from Guatemala has been arrested for leading a smuggling ring that brought over 20,000 people into the U.S. over five years, according to officials.

Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul, 51, known as “Turko,” of the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles, was arrested Friday morning along with his alleged right-hand man, Cristobal Mejia-Chaj, 49, also of Westlake, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced on Monday. Both are being held without bond.

Renoj-Matul allegedly led one of the largest human smuggling organizations in the United States, moving approximately 20,000 illegal immigrants from 2019 through July 2024.

His ring held some of the migrants hostage in stash houses, ultimately leading to the deaths of seven illegal immigrants—including a 4-year-old child—who were killed in a November 2023 car accident in Oklahoma, the attorney’s office said.

Also charged in the indictment are Helmer Obispo-Hernandez, 41, known as “Xavi,” a fugitive who allegedly served as a lieutenant in the organization, and Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj, 44, a driver currently incarcerated in Oklahoma in connection with the fatal November 2023 crash. All four defendants are Guatemalan nationals who were illegally living in the United States at the time of the alleged offenses.

The defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to the U.S., transporting and harboring aliens for private financial gain, and resulting in death. Additionally, Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj face two counts of hostage-taking.

A separate federal criminal complaint filed on March 2 charges Obispo-Hernandez with threatening to decapitate a Homeland Security Investigations Task Force officer and members of his family. The threats were allegedly made Friday to federal law enforcement after search warrants were executed at Obispo-Hernandez’s residence.

According to the indictment, the smuggling ring operated for at least 12 years and specialized in smuggling illegal immigrants from Guatemala, particularly through routes between Phoenix and Los Angeles.

Renoj-Matul was assisted by associates in Guatemala who recruited individuals seeking to enter the U.S. illegally, charging between $15,000 and $18,000 per person.

Mexican smuggling organizations transported the migrants through Mexico and across the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, where they were held in stash houses before being picked up by Renoj-Matul’s lieutenants.

For an additional fee, the migrants were then transported to various destinations in the United States, including Los Angeles. Those who had not paid their smuggling fees were held hostage in a stash house in the Westlake neighborhood.

Between April and July 2024, Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj allegedly held two Guatemalan nationals hostage after smuggling them into the U.S., threatening to kill them until third parties paid for their release.

In November 2023, Paxtor-Oxlaj caused a fatal car accident in Elk City, Oklahoma, while smuggling illegal immigrants from New York to Los Angeles. The crash resulted in the deaths of seven passengers, including three minors and a 4-year-old child.

Paxtor-Oxlaj had previously been deported to Guatemala in 2010 and did not have legal permission to re-enter the U.S.

“These smuggling organizations have no regard for human life, and their conduct kills,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Their members pose a danger to the public and law enforcement. We must vigorously enforce our immigration laws so that these organizations cannot operate. The indictment and arrests here have dismantled one of the country’s largest and most dangerous smuggling organizations. This work saves lives, and the members of the organization will now face significant consequences.”

If convicted on all charges, the defendants could face a statutory maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.