KYLE, Texas — Kyle police have arrested five men in a human smuggling case where the men were allegedly trying to ransom victims for more money from their families.
The Kyle Police Department said on Sept. 17 at approximately 6:30 p.m., dispatch received a call from a person who said a relative was being held by human smugglers for ransom. Kyle officers were able to respond to a home on Voyager Cove to monitor while they worked to gather more information.
During the investigation, a vehicle leaving the home was stopped and police arrested the four people inside. Further investigation revealed that at least one more person was inside the home police were monitoring, so SWAT was activated and the fifth person was arrested.
Kyle police said inside the home, officers located five people who had been smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border. Once they arrived in the U.S., police said the smugglers held the victims for ransom to get more money from their families. Four of the victims gave interviews to the police, and one of the victims was taken to a hospital, where they remain as of Sept. 20.
The five men arrested in this case are 28-year-old Rodrigo Rodriguez-Villanueva of Mexico, 28-year-old Christian Martinez of Mexico, 25-year-old Isaac Briones-Villela of Buda, 17-year-old Carlos Briones of Mexico and 17-year-old Rogelio Fruto-Sanchez of Mexico. All five have been charged with Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity and Trafficking of Persons.
PHOTOS: 5 men arrested for human smuggling in Kyle
Kyle police said they were assisted with this investigation by the Buda Police Department, San Marcos Police Department, Hays County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Rangers.
This investigation is ongoing.
This is not the only recent human smuggling case in Hays County. Last week, San Marcos police arrested three men accused of kidnapping and smuggling a large number of undocumented immigrants. Those men have been charged with a variety of offenses, including smuggling of persons, engaging in organized criminal activity, aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping for ransom.
Law enforcement officials have not indicated a connection between the San Marcos case and the Kyle case.