By Patrick Smith—
NBC News
A human smuggler admitted to helping seven immigrants enter the United States from Mexico by traveling through the sewer system under the common border, prosecutors said Thursday.
Kevin Noe Campos Villa
, 20, of Tijuana, Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court to smuggling people across the border in exchange for
$6,000
.
The young man will be sentenced in June and faces up to 10 years in prison and a possible fine of $250,000.
Campos told the court that he and three of the migrants who crossed the border under his guidance on Jan. 22 were approached by Border Patrol agents,
who saw them go through some pipes
two miles west of the San Ysidro port of entry.
Migrants cross the Rio Grande on the border between Mexico and the United States in the Ciudad Juárez area, on March 18, 2024.Getty Images
“According to court records, two of the immigrants who were rescued stated that they feared for their lives when crossing the river because they did not know how to swim,” the federal prosecutor for the Southern District of California said in a statement.
An immigrant told authorities that he was “swept away by the current of the river and was able to hold on to a tree branch until he was rescued,” the statement said.
[Lawyers give advice to migrants in Texas to be prepared if the SB4 law is again in effect]
The sewer pipes connecting the United States and Mexico are fitted with grates to prevent people from passing through them, but these open during heavy rains to allow greater water flow, without damaging them.
Human traffickers have used the pipes for years, prompting U.S. authorities to warn about the dangers of entering them due not only to the strength of the water, but its toxic contents.
Campos admitted, as part of a plea deal, that he had been working with other smugglers to make
ladders for migrants to cross the border
.
“This case is yet another example of how transnational smuggling organizations put profits before safety,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath.
“This is an important reminder that security is of little concern to transnational criminal organizations,” said Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel.
In the past, human traffickers have advertised their services on Facebook, for as little as $4,500 per person.