Mexican nationals smuggled to Sacramento held by ‘coyote’ in pay dispute, feds say

A man accused of smuggling Mexican nationals into the United States for cash, then threatening to drive off with them unless he was paid more faces a federal charge of transporting undocumented immigrants, court papers say.

A criminal complaint filed Monday in Sacramento federal court says Mateo Gomez Gonzalez, 29, of Mexico was part of a smuggling ring that brought in Mexican nationals through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

He now faces a criminal complaint alleging illegal alien transportation following an incident last week in which he allegedly refused to turn over two migrants unless he was paid twice as much as he had arranged for delivering the two to Sacramento.

An affidavit filed by Homeland Security Special Agent Joseph Rawley says authorities learned of the smuggling when a Sacramento resident called Los Rios Community College District police last Wednesday to report that his sister-in-law and a friend of hers were being held against their will because of the dispute over pay.

The person who called the police is identified in court papers only as the “reporting party” and as a Mexican national “with no legal status in the United States.”

He told authorities he had arranged for his sister-in-law, Rubisela Gonzalez Reyes, and a family friend, Jonathan Mauricio Astorga Fuentes, “to be brought illegally from Mexico to Sacramento” for a payment of $11,000, with $1,300 to be paid when both were delivered to Sacramento.

The man said he had been following the progress of their trip from Veracruz, Mexico, through phone updates from a “smuggling coordinator” as the “coyote” and passengers passed through the Southwest, court papers say.

“However, once the sister-in-law and friend arrived in the Sacramento area, the reporting party advised that he was told by the smuggling coordinator that Gomez was unwilling to deliver them for the agreed-upon price of $1,300 for both, and instead insisted on $2,600 ($1,300 per passenger),” the affidavit says.

“Reporting party was told by smuggling coordinator that if he did not pay the additional $1,300, Gomez would drive off with Gonzalez and Astorga and head north towards Oregon. Reporting party was worried that he would not see Gonzalez and Astorga again, so he called law enforcement and filed missing persons reports.”

Smuggler and four people at Yolo County gas station

On Wednesday night, the man was told he could pick up the two passengers at a Pilot Travel Center gas station near Dunnigan, and he notified law enforcement, the affidavit says.

Law enforcement spotted a gray Honda Pilot with Arizona license plates at the station and found Gomez, the two missing passengers and two additional travelers in the vehicle, “all of whom were eventually identified as natives and citizens of Mexico, with no immigration status in the United States,” the affidavit says.

“At the gas station, Gonzalez was upset and in distress,” the affidavit says. “She advised Spanish-speaking law enforcement that she wanted to be with her family and began to cry.

“She stated that she and Astorga came together from Veracruz, Mexico, beginning their journey together to Sacramento on September 14, 2022. They traveled with a group through the desert, crossing the border in Ciudad Juarez into El Paso, Texas. They were then transported blindfolded to several houses along the way in their journey to California.”

‘Coyote’ drove migrants from Albuquerque

Gonzalez said the group first encountered Gomez when he began driving them from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and that he told them to turn off their cellphones but that she “tricked him and did not turn off her phone.”

“Gonzalez related that Gomez would not allow the passengers to walk away freely from the vehicle, but rather would order the passengers back into the vehicle,” the affidavit says. “Gonzalez stated that once she was aware of the payment dispute, she wanted to get out of the vehicle, but Gomez would not let her.

“She stated that Gomez said he would return Gonzalez and Astorga back to one of the stash houses if he was not paid the amount he claimed was owed. Gonzalez further stated that Gomez told her she should be more grateful that he isn’t bad, and that there are other people who are worse.”

Astorga added that he “was scared that he was going to be taken to an unknown location and would never see his family again,” and the other two passengers said they were worried they would face the same demands from Gomez as they got closer to their intended destination in Oregon, the affidavit says.

Future of four passengers is unknown

Gomez was found with $3,000 in cash and two cellphones, and told authorities he had been given a vehicle, $300 for expenses and had dropped off passengers in Los Angeles, San Jose and Oakland before arriving in Sacramento, the affidavit says.

He said he had been hired for the job by someone he met at a party, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit does not say what happened to the four passengers after law enforcement intervened, and a court appearance for Gomez has not yet been scheduled.

He could face up to five years in prison for each person he is found to have smuggled, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says.