Two Mexican nationals who were residing illegally in Mission were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a money laundering and human smuggling scheme, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani, along with Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI's San Antonio Field Office.

According to Hamdani, Luis Enrique Moctezuma-Acosta, 37, and Scarlett Fuentes-Gavarrette, 34, pleaded guilty in March to laundering over $2 million and conspiracy to transport migrants into the United States.

The two suspects were ordered to serve 20 years in federal prison and because they are not U.S. citizens, they are expected to face removal proceedings after their sentences.

Hamdani said during the hearing, the court heard recordings of migrants held against their will and begging their families to pay the smugglers for their release.

They also heard the organization talk about their trucking business as a front that made it easier for human smuggling but also enabled laundering $2.9 million.

Hamdani said the court also considered the lavish lifestyle Moctezuma-Acosta and Fuentes-Gavarrette led while exploiting the migrants. The organization had referred to them as 'products' and "abandoned some in the harsh conditions of the brush without food or water, resulting in the death of one."

"This case started as a money laundering investigation at a business. FBI agents did a phenomenal job following the evidence to uncover a much larger conspiracy involving human smuggling," Tapp said. "I want to thank our partners at the Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, the Texas Department of Insurance and the McAllen Police Department for their assistance with this case and their continued partnership in keeping our south Texas communities safe."

The conspiracy involved a sophisticated network of migrants across the United States utilizing commercial airplanes, tractor-trailers and various other smuggling methods.

Hamdani said the investigation began in November 2019 and revealed the LEMA smuggling organization brought 2,459 undocumented migrants from the Southwest border regions further into the northern parts of the U.S. The network spanned from Honduras to as far as Boston, Massachusetts, with a heavy emphasis on smuggling Brazilian nationals.

Multiple search warrants were executed on March 9, 2023, at Fuentes-Gavarrette and Moctezuma-Acosta’s properties, at which time authorities seized over $1.5 million in cash, according to Hamdani.

He said the locations included their home and "a purported car dealership they operated as a front business."

Throughout the investigation, law enforcement also seized approximately $2.69 million in assets and several luxury vehicles, jewelry and several pieces of real property.

Both will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.