Mexican national who acted as transporter for smuggling conspiracy sentenced to 15 months in prison

*Photo by Mike Remarcke

Seattle – A transporter for a northern border human smuggling conspiracy was sentenced this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. 

Jesus Ortiz-Plata, 46, of Independence, Oregon, was arrested May 23, 2024, in Everett, Washington, with three non-citizens who had been smuggled into the United States from Canada. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said it was “callous” to send people across the border in freight cars. 

“He was a commercial smuggler. He wasn’t doing this for altruistic purposes, he did it for cold hard cash,” Judge Robart said.

“This defendant was a cog in a conspiracy that transported people into the U.S. from across the northern border in an extremely dangerous smuggling scheme loading people into freight cars on trains traveling from Canada into the U.S.,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman.

“These transnational smuggling groups charge thousands of dollars and risk the lives of those trying to reach the U.S. We will continue to investigate these smuggling groups to hold members accountable.”

Since late 2022, as Border Patrol and investigators encountered non-citizens who had illegally attempted to cross the border. As part of the investigation, agents frequently encountered a phone number that was later linked to Ortiz-Plata. 

After substantial investigation, Ortiz-Plata was identified, and law enforcement obtained court permission to track his location. After months of surveillance and monitoring, on May 23, 2024, Ortiz-Plata traveled from his home in Oregon and was surveilled by agents from Seattle to an apartment in Everett. 

Ortiz-Plata left the apartment with three men – all non-citizens who entered his vehicle. All four were taken into custody. Two had crossed the border in a freight train car and one claimed he had walked across the border and been picked up on the U.S. side.

On November 20, 2024, Ortiz-Plata pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport certain aliens for profit.

In asking for the 15-month prison sentence, prosecutors noted that the defendant did not run the smuggling ring, but still played an important role in its success.

“Ortiz-Plata admits that he knew the noncitizens he picked up were using freight trains to get into the United States; but nevertheless, he proceeded to participate. Even if he, himself, was not the one directing the noncitizens to jump on, Ortiz-Plata continued to facilitate, and thereby promote, this extremely dangerous smuggling route, multiple times, over the course of at least a year.”

Ortiz-Plata will likely be deported following his prison term.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Border Security Enforcement Team, U.S. Border Patrol, and Border Patrol Air and Marine Group.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Celia Lee and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Collins.

*The press release did not specify which freight train was used for the smuggling. This photo is from our files.