HOUSTON, Texas – A 46-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for attempting to smuggle children to the United States, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Medardo Cano pleaded guilty on Feb. 15.
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On Friday, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Cano to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of probation.
While handing down the sentence, the judge noted the seriousness of the offense and expressed her concerns that Cano had no way to verify the minors would be reunited with their family had the smuggling attempt been successful.
“Do not hire smugglers to transport your children,” said Hamdani. “You may never know where they took them, or the degree of danger associated with the trip. Do not place your child’s life in the hands of criminals.”
On Dec. 7, 2022, Cano traveled with two minor children from Mexico to the United States. He encountered law enforcement at the Pharr Port of Entry and presented them with fraudulent Texas birth certificates on behalf of the minors. The investigation revealed the minor children were undocumented.
Cano later admitted he had been hired to transport the children to the United States and knew the birth certificates were fraudulent.
Cano will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.