DEL RIO, Texas – A family of four was sentenced to federal prison in connection with a human smuggling organization based in San Antonio.
Eva Maria Galeas, 43, of San Antonio; Lisa Marie Ortega, 25, of San Antonio; Sandra Galeas-Mejia, 48, of Mexico; and Norma Galeas-Mejia, 52, of Honduras, were sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio this week.
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According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, they worked with Roberto Galeas-Mejia, 47, who led the organization that transported and harbored immigrants, and coordinated payments.
Roberto Galeas-Mejia, of Honduras, is the husband to Eva Maria Galeas, stepfather to Lisa Marie Ortega, and brother to Sandra and Norma Galeas-Mejia.
The release states the four women accepted and withdrew proceeds from the human smuggling events. They funneled money to conspirators and used the money to pay drivers and stash house operators and rent stash houses.
“Funds were also used for personal expenses such as vehicle purchases,” the news release states. “Over the course of the investigation, Homeland Security Investigations thwarted multiple smuggling loads and arrested numerous co-conspirators and undocumented noncitizens.
The four women were arrested in 2019.
In July 2022, Roberto Galeas-Mejia, Eva Maria Galeas and Lisa Marie Ortega were found guilty of all three counts of a superseding indictment: conspiracy to transport illegal migrants, conspiracy to harbor illegal migrants, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Sandra Galeas-Mejia and Norma Galeas-Mejia pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants.
Eva Maria Galeas was sentenced to 180 months in prison, Lisa Marie Ortega was sentenced to 156 months, Sandra Galeas-Mejia was sentenced to 84 months, and Norma Galeas-Mejia was sentenced to 78 months.
Roberto Galeas-Mejia is awaiting his sentence hearing.
Additionally, they had to forfeit $603,593 that was discovered in a safe during a home search. Eva Maria Galeas and Lisa Marie Ortega have to pay money judgments of $97,668 and $21,388, respectively.