PHILADELPHIA, PA — A Venezuelan man residing in Pennsylvania has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for his role in a migrant smuggling conspiracy that profited from the labor of immigrants illegally brought into the United States.
Cesar David Martinez-Gonzalez, 40, was sentenced on March 18, 2025, by United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $20,560 in restitution. Martinez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty in November to multiple felony charges, including conspiracy to smuggle and encourage migrants to unlawfully enter the United States for personal financial gain, as well as transfer of fraudulent identification documents.
Prosecutors revealed that Martinez-Gonzalez conspired with others to smuggle over 100 South American migrants into the United States during a two-year period. He funded their passage across the U.S.-Mexico border, arranged for their release on parole, and transported them to Chester, Pennsylvania. Upon their arrival, he imposed significant debts, compelling the migrants to work long hours in factories, forfeiting half of their pay to him. He also facilitated the creation of false identification documents to secure employment for the migrants, further profiting from their exploitation.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf called the scheme an “egregious offense” against both the United States and the exploited migrants, highlighting the severe financial and emotional toll it placed on the victims. “Martinez-Gonzalez not only betrayed our laws but abused the hopes of individuals seeking a better life, trapping them in cycles of debt and hardship,” Metcalf noted.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General led the investigation. HSI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens described the case as a prime example of the commitment to dismantle human smuggling networks. “Martinez-Gonzalez preyed on vulnerable individuals, violating their trust and fueling further exploitation,” Owens said.
Martinez-Gonzalez, who had secured Temporary Protected Status in 2024, continued the criminal enterprise even after obtaining legal permission to remain in the United States, according to court records. Investigators found detailed records of the debts owed by migrants, demonstrating the defendant’s financial motivations in orchestrating the scheme.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Solow, Louis D. Lappen, Eileen Castilla Geiger, and J. Andrew Jenemann, with authorities reaffirming their commitment to pursuing human smugglers and protecting the integrity of the nation’s immigration system.
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