Texas Smuggler Gets 14+ Years For Raping Pregnant Illegal Alien | Image by Flegere/Shutterstock
A federal judge in Del Rio has sentenced a smuggling conspirator to more than 14 years in prison in a case prosecutors say involved hostage-taking and the sexual assault of a pregnant illegal alien.
Rodolfo Daniel De Hoyos, 22, also known as “Rufles,” was sentenced on March 9 to 170 months in federal prison for conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Federal prosecutors alleged the smuggling operation also involved hostage-taking and the sexual assault of a pregnant woman who the organization had transported along with her husband and young child. According to court filings and a Justice Department press release, the smugglers threatened to kill the woman’s seven-year-old son and to sell the unborn child if relatives did not pay additional smuggling fees.
The case, first filed on April 24, 2024, is part of a broader federal prosecution targeting what authorities described as an illegal alien smuggling organization operating in South Texas.
According to prosecutors, the incident tied to De Hoyos involved transporting an illegal alien family from San Antonio to Austin in August 2023. The family — a man, a pregnant woman, and their then-seven-year-old child — were allegedly taken hostage by members of the smuggling group.
“In addition to sexually assaulting the pregnant woman, the defendants threatened to kill the woman’s seven-year-old boy if payments were not made, and they also threatened to sell the woman’s unborn baby if they did not get the money they sought,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement announcing the sentencing.
Authorities said a relative paid at least $1,000 to the smuggling organization after the threats were made, but the group allegedly continued to demand additional payments to various accounts before releasing the family.
De Hoyos had previously been arrested on November 22, 2021, in Kinney County after a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper stopped a vehicle he was driving and observed three passengers wearing hiking gear and camouflage backpacks, according to the Justice Department.
Prosecutors said De Hoyos admitted at the time that he was transporting the illegal aliens to Del Rio and expected to be paid $1,500 for the trip.
Investigators later linked him to the broader smuggling operation led by co-defendant Anthony Ballones Jr., whom prosecutors allege coordinated multiple smuggling events. Authorities said De Hoyos had worked with Ballones for roughly a year.
“[De Hoyos] pleaded guilty to count one of a six-count indictment on Nov. 26, 2024,” the press release states.
Court records show that prosecutors called only one witness during the proceedings in the case, identified in filings as “Ms. O. (victim).”
Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presided over the sentencing in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in Del Rio.
The case involves multiple defendants tied to the alleged smuggling network. Several have already been sentenced, including Juan Antonio Flores, who received 212 months in prison; Edwin Alfredo Barrientos-Mateo, who received 360 months in prison; Nelson Abilio Castro-Zelaya, who received 180 months in prison; and Tomas Estrada-Torres, who received 151 months in prison.
Four additional defendants, Ambar Obregon, Pedro Ruiz Gonzalez, Armando Garcia-Martinez, and Anthony Ballones Jr, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing, according to court records.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner prosecuted the case.
Federal officials said the prosecution is part of “Operation Take Back America,” which the Department of Justice describes as a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
Defendants in criminal cases are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Texas Takedown Weekly is a recurring series from The Dallas Express focusing on the most significant immigration enforcement actions in Texas every week. To read last week’s edition, click here: Texas Takedown Weekly: Prescription Drug Seizure, 175 Immigration Cases, Deadly Border Chase