SAN ANTONIO, TX - A Nicaraguan national was sentenced in a federal court to 63 months in prison for harboring and transporting over 400 illegal immigrants between October 2023 and February 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.
Court documents state that 37-year-old Jose David Betanco-Ramirez conspired with two other individuals to transport and harbor approximately 20 illegal immigrants per week for approximately five months.
In June 2024, the San Antonio Police Department investigated a report of human trafficking and sexual assault, according to the San Antonio Express News.
When officers arrived on scene, they confirmed that the residence was being used as a stash house for human smuggling and observed the woman who matched the description in the sexual assault report.
In a bedroom with the victim, police located Betanco-Ramirez and in a separate room they located co-conspirators Leomar Mendoza-Amador, of Nicaragua, and Rony Jose Gonzalez-Amaya, of Honduras.
The residence was reported to be sparsely furnished, but with numerous beds in the living room and throughout the house.
A search warrant resulted in the recovery of a bag containing nine cell phones.
Investigators learned that the sexual assault victim had entered the United States illegally several days prior to the reported incident and was transported along with approximately 60 other undocumented immigrants, including other women and children.
They were smuggled in the back of a tractor trailer before they were "shuffled between multiple stash houses."
The victim reportedly told investigators that on the first night in her final stash house, Betanco-Ramirez told the other males that she was "his" and that they were not to touch her.
The following night, he sexually assaulted her for the first of two instances.
All three men: Betanco-Ramirez, Mendoza-Amador, and Gonzalez-Amaya were each indicted on April 3, 2024, for "one count of conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens and one count of harboring illegal aliens", according to the DOJ.
Betanco-Ramirez pleaded guilty to both charges on April 8, 2025. His two co-defendants pleaded guilty to the alien smuggling charge.
Mendoza-Amado and Gonzalez-Amaya were both sentenced to 51 months in federal prison earlier this year.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Spears prosecuted the case, which was investigated by San Antonio Police and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Court documents state that 37-year-old Jose David Betanco-Ramirez conspired with two other individuals to transport and harbor approximately 20 illegal immigrants per week for approximately five months.
In June 2024, the San Antonio Police Department investigated a report of human trafficking and sexual assault, according to the San Antonio Express News.
When officers arrived on scene, they confirmed that the residence was being used as a stash house for human smuggling and observed the woman who matched the description in the sexual assault report.
In a bedroom with the victim, police located Betanco-Ramirez and in a separate room they located co-conspirators Leomar Mendoza-Amador, of Nicaragua, and Rony Jose Gonzalez-Amaya, of Honduras.
The residence was reported to be sparsely furnished, but with numerous beds in the living room and throughout the house.
A search warrant resulted in the recovery of a bag containing nine cell phones.
Investigators learned that the sexual assault victim had entered the United States illegally several days prior to the reported incident and was transported along with approximately 60 other undocumented immigrants, including other women and children.
They were smuggled in the back of a tractor trailer before they were "shuffled between multiple stash houses."
The victim reportedly told investigators that on the first night in her final stash house, Betanco-Ramirez told the other males that she was "his" and that they were not to touch her.
The following night, he sexually assaulted her for the first of two instances.
All three men: Betanco-Ramirez, Mendoza-Amador, and Gonzalez-Amaya were each indicted on April 3, 2024, for "one count of conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens and one count of harboring illegal aliens", according to the DOJ.
Betanco-Ramirez pleaded guilty to both charges on April 8, 2025. His two co-defendants pleaded guilty to the alien smuggling charge.
Mendoza-Amado and Gonzalez-Amaya were both sentenced to 51 months in federal prison earlier this year.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Spears prosecuted the case, which was investigated by San Antonio Police and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments