He Rented A Home Depot Van To Smuggle 12 People Including 2 Children.
As early as September 2023, 38-year-old Jesus Hernandez Ortiz joined an encrypted chat platform used to coordinate drivers for long-distance trips, including the pickup of people who had illegally crossed into the United States from Canada.
In mid-September 2023, Hernandez Ortiz agreed to complete one of the trips.
He rented a commercial Home Depot van in New Jersey and drove to a designated pickup location in Holland, Vermont.
His co-conspirators allegedly used encrypted messages to provide the exact location and time of the pickup.
Messages included in court documents showed Hernandez Ortiz being told when to wait and stop before receiving instructions to turn off the van’s lights so the group could get inside.
Hernandez Ortiz picked up 12 people who had just crossed the northern border, including two young children.
He expected to receive $400 for each person once the group arrived in New York City, for a total payment of $4,800.
Court documents included photographs of the rented Home Depot van and messages exchanged during the alleged smuggling operation.
The Justice Department described the operation as a sophisticated transnational smuggling network that spanned at least three continents.
On January 29, 2026, Hernandez Ortiz and Francisco Antonio Luna Rosado were charged in connection with the scheme.
On July 22, 2026, Hernandez Ortiz pleaded guilty in federal court in Vermont to conspiracy to illegally bring people into the United States and illegally bringing at least one person into the country for private financial gain.
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