EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A Horizon City man was sentenced to 4 1/2 years (54 months) in federal prison for his involvement in a human smuggling conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas announced on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

According to court documents, Isai Orona, aka Panda, 35, was the organizer of a human smuggling scheme.

Orona had been identified in WhatsApp communications, which the organization used for coordinating criminal activity, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said that when U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended a co-conspirator who had been transporting nine undocumented migrants in El Paso, the vehicle used was registered to Orona.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Orona was arrested on Nov. 20, 2023, and pleaded guilty the following year on July 12 to one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants and one count of transporting undocumented migrants.

Orona admitted to smuggling over 2,500 undocumented migrants within approximately six months in 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Many carloads of undocumented migrants were transported to Albuquerque and on to other locations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office added.

Orona also admitted to having a network of drivers to transport the undocumented migrants in at least 12 vehicles, which he obtained or helped others to obtain, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said that the court entered a $250,000 money judgment against Orona in addition to his prison sentence.