A Texas man will spend years in federal prison after being convicted for his role in a large-scale human smuggling operation involving thousands of illegal immigrants.
Isai Orona, 35, also known as “Panda,” was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison for conspiracy to transport aliens and transporting aliens, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Court documents reveal that Orona was identified through WhatsApp communications as the leader of the smuggling operation. He admitted to smuggling more than 2,500 illegal immigrants into the U.S. within just six months in 2023, with many of the immigrants being transported to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Orona also operated a network of drivers who helped smuggle the immigrants in at least 12 different vehicles.
The investigation led to a key break when U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested one of Orona’s co-conspirators in El Paso. The agents discovered that the vehicle being used for smuggling was registered to Orona. He was arrested on November 20, 2023, and later pled guilty to the charges on July 12, 2024.
In addition to his 4.5-year prison sentence, Orona was also hit with a $250,000 money judgment by the court.
