A La Pryor man received a 120-year consecutive sentence for conspiracy to kidnap and harboring illegal aliens. ICE and San Antonio Police revealed that Joshua Lee Balderas, 33, transported and held seven migrants captive in hotel rooms while extorting ransom payments from their families, with one family paying $7,000 for release. The severe penalty reflects the gravity of human smuggling crimes that included sexual assault and threats with firearms against vulnerable victims.

Read more: ICE, law enforcement partner investigation results in a significant prison sentence for a South Texas man convicted of kidnapping illegal aliens