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 — a Guatemalan and a Mexican national — 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 Márquez to 24 months in prison.
