A 27-year-old South Texas resident has been sentenced to federal prison for transporting illegal aliens to the United States.
Texas man sentenced to over 3 years for human smuggling
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Lizandro Monroy, a Roma, Texas resident, pleaded guilty on December 8, 2025, and was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
At the hearing, the court noted that Monroy had two prior federal convictions for people smuggling and had returned to the same criminal behavior nearly a month after being released from federal detention. This was indicated when the sentence was handed down, since the court recognized similarities between his prior offenses, which included vehicle or foot pursuits.
Smuggling attempt leads to high-speed pursuit
On June 21, 2025, officials found a raft crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico near the Roma Observation Deck. Police said they observed a grey Ford Focus make repeated passes before parking near the deck.
Monroy fled the vehicle, left it running, and told the juvenile passenger to take the driver’s seat and pick up the immigrants. Shortly later, three Chinese nationals emerged from the brush and entered the vehicle, causing police to conduct a traffic stop.
However, the underage driver fled, resulting in a car pursuit and several crashes. The vehicle finally collided with a utility post and a law enforcement vehicle before coming to a stop.
One of the Chinese nationals had a head laceration that required medical attention.
Repeat offender recruited minor
According to the federal court, Monroy admitted to recruiting and compensating a 15-year-old kid to transport the smuggled Chinese people from the pickup spot. He also provided the journey route and a cell phone for receiving directions from smuggling organizers.
Monroy will stay in detention pending his transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility, which will be determined in the near future.
Federal investigation in South Texas
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and Border Patrol carried out the investigation.
Assistant US Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.
