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An Arizona man who used Instagram to coordinate human smuggling on the border has been sentenced to two years in prison, authorities say.

On May 14, 2023, a Department of Public Safety trooper stopped Obiel Anthony Ochoa-Renteria, 21, for speeding near Sierra Vista. Two men dressed in camouflage โ€” a Guatemalan and a Mexican national โ€” were in the vehicle's trunk, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona said in a news release.

The investigation began in September 2022, when authorities say they learned Ochoa-Renteria was using Instagram to coordinate smuggling efforts since June of that year, according to the news release.

Border agents said Ochoa-Renteria admitted that he had agreed to drive the men into Arizona for $200-$300 each, the release said.

Ochoa-Renteria pleaded guilty in March to smuggling for profit. He was sentenced in Tucson federal court last week by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Mรกrquez to 24 months in prison.


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