Chief U.S. District Court Judge Alia Moses handed down stiff sentences to a brother and sister involved in a large-scale illegal alien-smuggling organization, which the Department of Homeland Security has linked to the Cartel De Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The pair was sentenced on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Texas.
Edgar Daniel Guzman, 32, of Albertville, Alabama, was sentenced to life in federal prison, and his sister, Jesika Guzman-Garcia, a 35-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, was given a 33-year sentence for her role in the alien smuggling operation.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche commented on the sentencing of the pair, saying, “The individuals sentenced today for coordinating these crimes are a stark reminder of the deadly consequences of human trafficking across the southern border, under this Administration, and this Department of Justice, such heinous criminal conduct and collaboration with deadly Mexican cartels will not be tolerated.”
The stiff sentences come after Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents investigated the organization and determined the pair of siblings organized and participated in a string of smuggling events that involved numerous acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, home invasion, and armed kidnapping. According to court records, Edgar Daniel Guzman was a leader of a Transnational Criminal Organization that operated in Mexico and in several southern U.S. states, including Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, between 2021 and 2026.
In his role, Guzman coordinated several failed alien smuggling attempts on behalf of the CJNG-connected alien smuggling organization and maintained CashApp accounts that revealed direct ties to co-conspirators also facing federal prosecution for their participation. Guzman pleaded guilty on July 21, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking.
Guzman’s sister, Jesika Guzman-Garcia, 35, an illegal alien from Guanajuato, Mexico, was one of many co-conspirators identified during the investigation into the actions of the alien smuggling organization. Guzman-Garcia was tied to a smuggling event that resulted in the deaths of the smuggling load driver and two illegal aliens. As in her brother’s case, an investigation revealed that she also used the CashApp account belonging to her brother and was also linked to multiple unsuccessful human smuggling events in Texas.
Guzman-Garcia made more than 450 payments to criminal associates between 20-18 and 2023 totaling more than $80,000. Guzman-Garcia pleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death.
San Antonio Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge John A. Pasciucco commented on the investigative efforts that led to the arrest and conviction of the pair, saying, “HSI Eagle Pass’s unwavering commitment to justice has resulted in the lengthy imprisonment of two ruthless human smugglers whose actions led to hostage taking and the tragic loss of life. This sentencing sends a powerful message: HSI will never tolerate those who exploit and endanger innocent lives for profit.”
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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