Guatemalan National Arrested on Indictment Charging Him with Leading One of the Largest Human Smuggling Rings in U.S.
About 20,000 Smuggled to U.S. from Guatemala and Transported Nationwide;
Traffic Accident During Smuggling Operation Resulted in Seven Deaths; and Member of Ring Allegedly Threatened to Kill Federal Law Enforcement Officer
LOS ANGELES – An illegal immigrant from Guatemala has been arrested on a four-count indictment alleging he led one of the largest human smuggling organizations in the United States, a ring that smuggled approximately 20,000 illegal immigrants from Guatemala to destinations nationwide over a five-year span, holding some of them hostage in stash houses and ultimately resulting in the deaths of seven illegal immigrants – including a 4-year-old child – who were killed in a November 2023 car accident in Oklahoma, the Justice Department announced today.
Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul, 51, a.k.a. “Turko,” of the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles, was arrested Friday morning along with his alleged right-hand man, Cristobal Mejia-Chaj, 49, also of the Westlake neighborhood. These defendants were arraigned Friday and ordered to stand trial on April 22. A federal magistrate judge also ordered them jailed without bond.
Renoj-Matul allegedly led one of the largest human smuggling organizations in the United States, moving approximately 20,000 illegal immigrants from 2019 through July 2024.
Also charged in the indictment are Helmer Obispo-Hernandez, 41, a.k.a. “Xavi,” a lieutenant in the criminal organization who is a fugitive, and Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj, 44, a driver for the smuggling organization who is incarcerated in Oklahoma in connection with the fatal November 2023 car accident.
All the defendants are Guatemalan nationals who are or were illegally living in the United States at the time of the alleged offenses.
All four defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States, transporting aliens in the United States, and harboring aliens in the United States for private financial gain and resulting in death.
Additionally, Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj are charged with two counts of hostage taking. Obispo-Hernandez and Paxtor-Oxlaj also are charged with one count of transporting aliens in the United States for private financial gain and resulting in death.
A separate federal criminal complaint filed March 2 charges Obispo-Hernandez with threatening to cut off the heads of a Homeland Security Investigations Task Force Officer and members of his family. The threats were allegedly made Friday to the federal law enforcement office in the wake of search warrants being executed at Obispo-Hernandez’s residence.
“These smuggling organizations have no regard for human life and their conduct kills,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Their members pose a danger to the public and law enforcement. We must vigorously enforce our immigration laws so that these organizations cannot operate. The indictment and arrests here have dismantled one of the country’s largest and most dangerous smuggling organizations. This work saves lives, and the members of the organization will now face significant consequences.”
“These arrests illuminate the dangers and victimization associated with aliens attempting to unlawfully enter our country,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles Acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco. “Every day, similar human smuggling organizations put profits ahead of the safety in these reckless and illegal endeavors. HSI Los Angeles and our partners are committed to continue identifying and dismantling these organizations so no further lives are lost and our borders are secure.”
According to the indictment returned on Tuesday and unsealed Friday, the Renoj-Matul transnational criminal organization operated for at least a dozen years and specialized in the smuggling of illegal immigrants from Guatemala to the United States, the transportation and movement of those illegal immigrants within the United States – especially between Phoenix and Los Angeles – and the harboring, concealing, and shielding of illegal immigrants within the United States.
Renoj-Matual was assisted by associates in Guatemala who solicited illegal immigrants to come to the United States, accepted payment of between $15,000 and $18,000 for each illegal immigrant smuggled into the United States, and coordinated the journey of the illegal immigrants from Guatemala to the United States.
Mexican smuggling organizations transported the immigrants through Mexico and across the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, where they were held them in stash houses and eventually picked up by Renoj-Matul’s lieutenants. The illegal immigrants then – for an additional fee – were transported and moved to various destinations in the United States, including Los Angeles. The immigrants who had not paid their fees were held hostage in a stash house in the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles.
Renoj-Matul directed that the transportation of proceeds from human smuggling be transported from Los Angeles to Phoenix, where they were given to the Mexican smuggling organization to pay the expenses incurred by Renoj-Matul’s transnational criminal organization.
In November 2023, Paxtor-Oxlaj caused a car accident in Elk City, Oklahoma, while he was smuggling illegal immigrants from New York to Los Angeles. That car accident resulted in the deaths of seven people who were passengers in the vehicle he drove. Of the seven people killed, three were minors, including a 4-year-old child.
Paxtor-Oxlaj was arrested in connection with the accident and was charged in the Western District of Oklahoma with being an illegal alien found in the United States following removal. He previously had been removed from the U.S. to Guatemala in 2010 and did not have legal permission to re-enter the United States.
The indictment further alleges that, from April 2024 to July 2024, Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj held hostage two victims – Guatemalan nationals smuggled into the United States – who had not paid smuggling fees. The defendants allegedly threatened to kill the victims until third parties paid for their release.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
If convicted of all charges, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.
Also arrested Friday was Rolando Gomez-Gomez, a.k.a. “Chaka,” 39 of South Los Angeles, who is charged with one count of being an illegal alien found in the United States following removal, and Juan Lopez Garcia, a.k.a. “Boxer,” 41 of Downtown Los Angeles, who was arrested on a civil removal matter. Both defendants are alleged lieutenants in the Renoj-Matul transnational criminal organization.
HSI’s El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, HSI’s Figueroa Initiative Gang and Human Trafficking Task Force, the United States Border Patrol and the Inglewood Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Shawn J. Nelson and Elia Herrera of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant United States Attorney Tara B. Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling the asset forfeiture portion of this case.
