Man sentenced to prison for transporting hundreds of migrants through San Antonio and other Texas cities

SAN ANTONIO – A Dallas man was sentenced this week to seven years in prison for his alleged involvement in transporting migrants through San Antonio and across the state.

Sedrick Zelitis Smith, 47, was first arrested by Homeland Security Investigations in May 2021.

Smith was considered a key member of a 10-person human smuggling operation that transported more than 900 migrants from Laredo to San Antonio aboard large 18-wheelers at least 19 different times, according to court documents.

According to the Justice Department, the large trucks contained only about 30 migrants and as many as more than 100 migrants crammed into a single 18-wheeler.

Authorities said Smith often served as a link between the 18-wheeler drivers and the leaders of the migrant smuggling operation. Smith was also active in helping steal and drive 18-wheelers with his commercial driver's license, officials said.

Agents said the migrants arrived in Laredo from Mexico. Smith often traveled to Laredo and offered assistance to migrant smugglers in San Antonio as well as Dallas.

In addition to Smith, nine people were also charged in connection with the migrant smuggling operation. Fredi Zagala-Servin was sentenced to eight years and one month in prison for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.

Another suspect, Norman Lee Walker, Jr., was arrested on May 21, the DOJ said.

The other seven suspects – Bryan Adamson, Ronnie Joe Branch, Eliseo Loredo, Rodney Edward Shavers, Mark Algie Holliday, Francisco Arredondo-Colmenero and Debbie Marie Gonzales – will have their own trial on undisclosed dates.

“With human trafficking increasing in recent years, it is absolutely essential that we send a message to criminals at all levels of these organizations: their crimes against vulnerable individuals are serious, they are dangerous, and we are here to help them immediately. prosecute,” U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas said in a press release Thursday afternoon. “I appreciate the dedication of our partners at HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) and our Joint Task Force Alpha initiative. Their efforts were essential in stopping this HSO (human trafficking operation) and many others. We will continue to dismantle these groups and serve justice together.