Edgar Sanchez-Solis received a five-year U.S. prison sentence Oct. 15 for taking part in a conspiracy that moved hundreds of people into the country through Canada, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said. The DOJ said he personally participated in the organization and coordinated smuggling events with other leaders.
The department described the operation as active between December 2022 and April 2025. The DOJ said it brought people from Mexico, Central America and South America into the United States through Canada, with drivers taking them farther inland after entry. The DOJ did not provide an exact total. A May 2025 indictment announcement had alleged the group smuggled hundreds of people each week; later plea and sentencing announcements did not give a weekly figure.
Sanchez-Solis pleaded guilty on May 7, 2026, to one conspiracy charge and five counts related to smuggling people for commercial advantage and private financial gain. People being smuggled paid the organization thousands of dollars to enter the United States, the DOJ said. Some later worked for the group, smuggling others to repay debts from their own passage.
The department also described a May 2023 pursuit involving a van carrying migrants. Border Patrol stopped chasing the vehicle because of public safety concerns. After the van failed to yield, law enforcement used a tire-deflation device to stop it, the DOJ said. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said the flight put officers and people being smuggled in harm’s way.
Three other defendants have pleaded guilty, the department said. Ignacio Diaz-Perez and Samuel Diaz-Perez each pleaded guilty to one conspiracy count and six counts involving alien smuggling for financial gain. Salvador Diaz-Diaz pleaded guilty to one conspiracy count and five such smuggling counts. Their sentencings were expected Nov. 23.
