Odessa Man Charged With Smuggling Guatemalan Boys

ODESSA, TX -- An Odessa man is facing smuggling charges after he attempted to smuggle two Guatemalan boys into the country.

According to the Florida Department of Law, 39-year-old Frank Moreno of Odessa and 21-year-old Jackson Perez-Godinez attempted to put the boys into forced labor.

Moreno and Perez-Godinez were initially stopped for a traffic stop by a Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy on I-10.

The deputy discovered what he believed to be signs of human trafficking and called in the  Florida Department of Law. Deputies and agents then discovered the two boys had been smuggled in through Mexico.

“Investigators believe the boys were trafficked into the United States for forced labor,” said the FDLE. “According to the victims, their families each paid more than $1,000 to be smuggled into America. Each teen was told they had to work to pay off additional travel debt. Agents believe the men were taking the boys to different cities in Central and South Florida."

Moreno and Perez-Godine each face two counts of engaging in human trafficking for labor or servitude on a child under 18 years old and smuggling an illegal individual into the state.