Federal prosecutors say two men accused of leading a group suspected of smuggling 20,000 illegal migrants into the country from Guatemala have been arrested in Los Angeles.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul, known as “Turko,” and his lieutenant Cristobal Mejia-Chaj have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges. A federal judge ordered the men jailed without bond until their trial in April.
Neither of them has permanent legal status in the U.S.
Prosecutors say the criminal network was responsible for the deaths of seven migrants, including a 4-year-old child – who were killed in a crash in Oklahoma in November of 2023.
