Cesar David Martinez-Gonzalez, of Chester, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty Tuesday to his role in illegally smuggling migrants into the United States for his own financial gain, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Martinez-Gonzalez, 39, encouraged and helped illegally smuggle migrants from South America across the U.S.-Mexico border and then profit from their labor.
Officials said Martinez-Gonzalez financed “coyotes,” or smugglers, in Mexico to guide migrants across the Rio Grande and through gaps in the border wall. He also provided information for the migrants to give to Customs and Border Protection so they could be released on parole to his residences. Once released, the 39-year-old would pay for flights to take the migrants to Philadelphia and then transport them to homes in and around Chester, Pennsylvania.
Martinez-Gonzalez, along with other accomplices, caused the migrants to pay off thousands of dollars in “debts” he owed by working long hours in low-paying jobs and handing over half their wages to him.
Officials said the debts the migrants had to pay far outweighed the costs of getting the individuals to Chester and housing them. The 39-year-old is also accused of obtaining false identity documents for the migrants.
“Martinez-Gonzalez took advantage of vulnerable immigrants for his own financial benefit,” said United States Attorney Jacqueline Romero. “He induced them to come to the United States and then imposed on them thousands of dollars in so-called ‘debts,’ which they had to repay through weeks or months of labor. My office and our partners will continue to target these human traffickers, both of whom prey on disadvantaged populations and ignore our nation’s immigration laws.”
Martinez-Gonzalez faces a maximum prison sentence of 120 years, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. His sentencing is set for March 18, 2025.
