Man pleads guilty to harboring illegal immigrants

A 57-year-old an illegal immigrant from Mexico pleaded guilty Wednesday to harboring other illegal immigrants and unlawful use of a firearm during a crime, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

J. Matias Picazo-Lucas was convicted less than one year after federal agents arrested him on Aug. 3, 2017.

According to court records, a person contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations to report that a relative was being smuggled into the United States and was being held against his will in Houston.

The caller advised that the unknown smugglers were demanding money in return for the release of his relative. An undercover agent called the smuggler and arranged to meet him at a grocery store on Bellaire Boulevard to pay a ransom.

According to the court documents, law enforcement was on the scene when Picazo-Lucas arrived with two illegal immigrants who were being held.

The agent and Picazo-Lucas discussed the payment, after which time authorities took Picazo-Lucas into custody. At the time of his arrest, he was carrying a loaded .38 caliber pistol.

The two people smuggled illegally from Guatemala indicated Picazo-Lucas and another individual, subsequently identified as Omar Picazo-Torres, had transported them to Houston in a tractor-trailer, according to the documents.

Picazo-Lucas and Picazo-Torres held the hostages at gunpoint in order to intimidate them and prevent their escape, according to the records.

U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison accepted the plea and has set sentencing for May 24.

At that time, Picazo-Lucas faces a total of a minimum five years and up to life for two firearms convictions, another 10 years for harboring illegal immigrants and a maximum of 20 years on the illegal re-entry conviction.

Each count carries a potential fine of up to $250,000.

Mexican National Omar Picazo-Lucas, 19, remains a fugitive and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact HSI at 866-DHS-2-ICE.

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