Recently, a Tempe man, Obiel Anthony Ochoa-Renteria, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for his involvement in an alien smuggling conspiracy. This decision was made in September by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Arizona.
Ochoa-Renteria, 21, pleaded guilty in March and was subsequently sentenced for his role in recruiting and coordinating smuggling operations, as confirmed by prosecutors.
The arrest of Ochoa-Renteria took place in May 2023 after a traffic stop conducted by the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol agents. During the stop, two men of Guatemalan and Mexican nationality were discovered hiding in the trunk of Ochoa-Renteria’s vehicle. They were found to be in the country illegally, and Ochoa-Renteria admitted to knowing this fact, having agreed to transport them for a fee ranging from $200 to $300 each.
Following an investigation initiated in September 2022 into smuggling activities on Instagram, Ochoa-Renteria was linked to arranging multiple smuggling events on the platform between June and September of that year. As a result of his actions, he has been sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
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