An individual from Guatemala has pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to leading a major human smuggling operation that brought about 20,000 people into the United States over five years. Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul, 52, also known as “Turko,” “El Jefe,” “Patrón,” and “El Gallo,” admitted to conspiracy charges related to bringing, transporting, and harboring undocumented immigrants for financial gain, as well as hostage taking.
Renoj-Matul has been held in federal custody since February 2025. According to his plea agreement, he started as a worker and later became a leader within the organization. The group specialized in moving undocumented individuals from Guatemala into the U.S., then transporting and hiding them at various locations across the country.
From 2019 through July 2024, Renoj-Matul’s organization moved approximately 20,000 people. Associates in Guatemala recruited clients and collected payments ranging from $15,000 to $18,000 per person. Mexican organizations helped move these individuals through Mexico and across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Within the United States, co-conspirators managed transportation teams and operated stash houses where people were held until their fees were paid. One such house was located on James M. Wood Boulevard in Los Angeles’ Westlake district. If smuggling fees were unpaid, individuals were detained at this location until payment was received.
Renoj-Matul also directed proceeds from smuggling activities to be sent from Los Angeles to Phoenix for distribution among Mexican partners and for covering organizational expenses. He arranged for transportation of immigrants to several states including Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, New York, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington D.C.
The plea agreement details two cases of hostage taking by Renoj-Matul. In one instance during 2024 when a third party failed to pay smuggling fees for a victim held at the Westlake house from May to July 2024, threats were made against the victim’s life if payment was not received: “would come home in a box.” Another victim was detained between April and July 2024 under similar threats until fees were paid.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 2 before United States District Judge Cynthia Valenzuela. Renoj-Matul faces up to life in federal prison.
Co-defendants José Paxtor-Oxlaj and Cristóbal Mejia-Chaj are set for trial on April 21; both have pleaded not guilty. Paxtor-Oxlaj is currently incarcerated in Oklahoma following a car accident that resulted in seven deaths in November 2023. Another alleged lieutenant of the organization remains a fugitive.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force and Figueroa Initiative Gang and Human Trafficking Task Force along with U.S. Border Patrol and Inglewood Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly L. Larocque is prosecuting.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California oversees prosecutions like this one while serving more than 19 million residents across seven counties. The office focuses on prosecuting federal criminal cases and works with various law enforcement agencies to promote public safety.
