A Houston man tied to a deadly smuggling ring will spend 35 more years in federal prison.

His name is Roland Heith Martinez. He is 26. A federal judge in Del Rio gave him the new time. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas shared the news on Sept. 28.

Martinez was already behind bars. In 2023, he got 140 months on a drug case. That case was in the Southern District of Texas. The new 35 years will not start until that time is done.

Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses handed down the sentence.

Martinez pleaded guilty on June 30, 2025. He admitted to one count of conspiracy to move illegal aliens, resulting in death. In plain words, he worked with others to move people who came in illegally. And people died.

Three people died in one smuggling run, prosecutors said. They tied that run to Martinez and the people he worked with. It was Aug. 7, 2022, in Kimble County, Texas. A smuggling car crashed. No other car was hit. Two migrants died. The driver died too. He was a U.S. citizen.

Prosecutors said Martinez was part of a crime group. They call it the Guzman TCO. The feds say the group is tied to a big cartel from Mexico. It is the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG.

The group worked in Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Louisiana and Mexico, prosecutors said.

Martinez was in the group from May 2021 until his arrest. He was arrested on Jan. 25, 2023.

Prosecutors laid out his job. They said he sent more than $54,000 to people who helped with the smuggling. He did it through at least 368 money transfers and CashApp payments. He also looked for more drivers for later trips.

That was not all. Prosecutors said he ran stash houses. He dealt guns for the group too.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons spoke about the case. He said the work to bring down these groups is paying off.

"Martinez was heavily involved in the operations of the Guzman TCO, not only facilitating tens of thousands of dollars in smuggling funds, but managing stash houses and dealing firearms as well," Simmons said.

HSI stands for Homeland Security Investigations. Its agents in Eagle Pass led the case.

John A. Pasciucco runs HSI in San Antonio. He said the case found much more than smuggling.

"HSI Eagle Pass led the investigation that exposed a pattern of violence that included murder, attempted murder, aggravated kidnapping, home invasion and arson," Pasciucco said.

He said the sentence brings some justice for the victims. That includes the two migrants who died.

The news release does not say Martinez drove the car that crashed. It does not say he was there. It says the run was tied to him and the people he worked with.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner took the case to court.

So what now? Martinez stays in federal prison. He must finish his drug sentence first. Then the 35 years begin.

The news release did not name anyone else charged in the case. It also did not say if others in the group still face charges.