ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A federal judge sentenced two people from Mexico who served as guides in a human smuggling operation that led to a woman’s death in New Mexico.
Gustavo Joachin-Hernandez, 37, and Israel Gonzalez-Cruz, 36, each pleaded guilty to a charge of “conspiracy to transport an illegal alien.” A judge sentenced them each to three years and 10 months in prison.
U.S. Border Patrol agents in Santa Teresa initially found around a dozen people hiding in the desert, Aug. 7, near New Mexico State Road 9. All of them allegedly entered the country illegally without proper documentation.
They later found 26-year-old Evelyn Esmeralda Villalta-Marquez dead after learning the group left her behind. She died of hyperthermia due to the heat.
Joachin-Hernandez allegedly admitted Villalta-Marquez struggled to keep up with the group due to the heat. He allegedly said he assisted her to the pickup location and that she was “still alive but in bad shape” when he left her behind to continue with the group. He also allegedly admitted to working as a foot guide for a smuggling organization since November 2023 – and expected to be paid $2,000 Mexican pesos for each person he assisted in being successfully smuggled to a stash house.
Joachin-Hernandez and Gonzalez-Cruz faced the charges for serving as guides. They will face deportation upon release.
HSI Las Cruces investigated this case with help from Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Castellano prosecuted the case.
