3 men convicted of working in Donna hideout where migrants were ‘tortured and raped’

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Three men who worked at a hideout where migrants were allegedly raped and extorted have been convicted for their respective roles in the crime.

Jesus Valdez, Darrel Palomares and Rodrigo Acevedo were each sentenced to a term in a federal prison for bringing in and harboring migrants.

The three men were indicted in December 2020 along with two other co-defendants: Jonathan Romero and Abel Cavazos.

background

A criminal complaint stated that on December 3, 2020, Homeland Security Investigations received information about a drug stash in Donna.

Special agents and Border Patrol agents went to the address and encountered Cavazos. Cavazos refused to consent to search the property and shortly thereafter agents saw several individuals fleeing north from a building on the property. After their arrest, several admitted to being in the country illegally.

Agents spoke with Cavazos again, who then consented to search the property. There, authorities found 20 people, 13 of whom admitted to being migrants, the complaint states.

Valdez admitted in an interview that he was responsible for finding a hiding place for the migrants, driving them to the property and being responsible for their well-being.

Romero admitted that he helped the caregivers feed and provide water to the migrants. Romero identified the caregivers as Palomares and Acevedo.

Acevedo told authorities that Cavazos was the owner of the house on the property. Agents spoke with a witness who identified Cavazos as someone who called the migrants’ families to demand money and physically attacked them.

Another witness told authorities that Cavazos was carrying a firearm near the migrants and was referred to as “boss,” the document said.

Conviction

In announcing the verdict, Chief US District Judge Randy Crane described Valdez as the ringleader.

Valdez said Romero was his brother. Romero was killed in San Juan while out on bail after being shot multiple times in the trunk. Valdez added that Palomares was Romero’s friend.

Crane said female migrants were raped and male migrants were sodomized by other co-conspirators.

“I was not aware of the rest of the events, Your Honor,” Valdez said.

Prosecutors said the defendants had a calculated plan to extort and torture the migrants for money, including demanding $5,000 from one of the rape victims.

Palomares was one of the men accused of sexually harassing the women. Palomares strongly denied this.

“I want to explain that I had nothing to do with the woman,” Palomares said. “I told the marshals I would do anything to prove to them that I had nothing to do with this woman. I am very sorry that this happened and if I could have prevented it, I would have prevented it.”

Prosecutors said Palomares was identified by several witnesses as someone who pointed a gun at the victim during the sexual assault.

Valdez and Palomares were each sentenced to 10 years in prison on June 5. Acevedo was sentenced to 7.25 years in prison on Wednesday morning. Cavazos’ sentencing was postponed until June 27.