A 23-year-old New Jersey man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after investigators tied him to a human smuggling attempt in South Texas.
A New Jersey man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a human smuggling attempt in South Texas, according to federal prosecutors.
Justin R. Simmons said 23-year-old Cameron Alexander Ford of Camden, New Jersey, received a 120-month sentence in federal court in Del Rio.
The case began on April 6, 2023, when Texas Department of Public Safety troopers stopped a vehicle near La Pryor. Several people in the backseat ran from the vehicle, and one person detained was identified as a Mexican national without legal status in the U.S.
Investigators later linked Ford to the case through an abandoned cellphone found near the scene. Authorities said Ford and a co-defendant had driven a rental vehicle from New Jersey to Eagle Pass before the smuggling attempt.
After fleeing from troopers, investigators say the suspects later flew from San Antonio to Philadelphia.
Ford pleaded guilty in 2025 to conspiracy to transport migrants while placing lives in jeopardy. His 10-year sentence will run consecutively to a 47-month federal sentence he received in Philadelphia for carjacking.
Two co-defendants have also pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in April.