2 Alien Smugglers Sentenced in Hostage Torture Case

Two migrant smugglers who pleaded guilty to shaving, beating and sexually torturing undocumented immigrants in South San Diego earlier this year were sentenced Monday to federal prison.

Armando Hernandez Ramirez and Juan Guevara Morales pleaded guilty in May to two felony counts related to holding undocumented aliens hostage.

U.S. District Judge Earl B. Gilliam sentenced Hernandez to 11 years and eight months in federal prison and five years of probation for his role in the hostage-taking and torturing of the illegal immigrants one year ago. Guevara was ordered to serve four years and nine months in prison and five years of probation.

Hernandez, 44, and Guevara, 28, both illegal immigrants from Mexico, were accused of partially shaving the heads of the migrants, beating them and performing perverse sexual acts on them at knifepoint over a three-day period. Five Mexican nationals and three Guatemalans were victimized.

The victims were held while Hernandez and Guevara attempted to arrange $300 payments with relatives to continue bringing the immigrants north to Los Angeles.

Guevara was given a lighter sentence because he did not participate in the sexual abuse of the migrants. Assistant U.S. Atty. Sherri L. Walker argued for a longer sentence of nearly six years because Guevara was present when the sexual abuse took place and could have left or stopped it.

Guevara’s attorney, Sylvia Baiz, argued that Guevara was a hostage himself and feared that he might be beaten or tortured if he refused to participate.

“I do accept responsibility for the beatings and shavings, but not for sexual abuse,” Guevara told the judge through an interpreter.

Hernandez also told Gilliam that he was sorry for his part in the crimes: “I would like to apologize to the United States and to all the victims, and to Your Honor.”

The pair were arrested Oct. 30 after police found three men wandering on Highland Avenue in National City. Two of the men were naked, a third was partly clothed, and all three had partly shaven heads.