By Cameron Dodd 6 hrs ago

A Frederick man who made about $150,000 as part of a human smuggling scheme that brought immigrants into the United States illegally has been sentenced to federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Martir Jandres on Monday to 15 months in federal prison. Jandres pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants for profit.

Jandres was arrested in 2018 as part of Operation Tiempo Real, a joint operation by U.S. federal investigators and El Salvador’s national police.

Agents from both countries interviewed 95 Salvadorans apprehended in the U.S. Agents identified and ultimately arrested Jandres and more than a dozen others linked to the same smuggling operation, according to court records.

Admitted members of the organization cooperated with special agents to identify Jandres as a Maryland resident who “specializes in smuggling El Salvadorans and Central Americans via Mexico,” according to court records. The collaborators also helped undercover agents infiltrate the operation in south Texas and pose as drivers working for Jandres.

In two separate undercover operations in early 2017, the agents followed arrangements made by Jandres to transport six undocumented immigrants in Texas and accept payment from them.

According to the plea agreement, Jandres agreed to transport one of the undercover agent’s “uncles” from McAllen, Texas, to Houston for $5,000.

Between 2015 and 2018, Jandres was paid about $150,000 for helping to smuggle between 25 and 99 people into the United States, according to his plea agreement.

In addition to his prison sentence, Jandres will be subject to three years of supervised release and required to forfeit $150,000.

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/ne...af184f66a.html