Member of notorious Franco human smuggling organization receives life sentence for role in violent hostage-taking incident

Phoenix, AZ - A member of the notoriously violent Franco human smuggling organization has received a life prison sentence for his role in a hostage-taking incident here four years ago involving more than 50 illegal aliens who were held at gunpoint and beaten.

Jesus Medina-Nevarez, aka Pablo Medina-Nevarez, 25, of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison plus seven years by U.S. District Judge Roger G. Strand. Medina-Nevarez was convicted last year of conspiracy, hostage taking, harboring illegal aliens, and possessing and using a firearm to commit violence. The investigation leading to the guilty verdict and sentence was conducted by U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, and the Phoenix and Peoria Police Departments.

At the trial, tearful victims described how Medina-Nevarez and at least seven others, held them at gunpoint inside a Phoenix residence. The aliens were beaten with fists, kicked, pistol whipped, and threatened with death. Medina-Nevarez burned one victim’s face with a cigarette. Other victims had plastic bags put over their heads and were beaten until they could not breath.