CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — A 34-year-old man is scheduled to make an initial court appearance in South Texas on charges that include murder, human smuggling and keeping undocumented workers as hostages.
Authorities say Noe Aranda-Soto will appear in federal court Wednesday in Corpus Christi.
An indictment released Tuesday shows Aranda-Soto originally was charged in 2010 for smuggling people into the country. Authorities say he was the head of a smuggling group when an auto accident that year led to the deaths of two undocumented workers and severe injuries to a third.
He’s accused of keeping various stash houses as he moved workers from South Texas to other points. Authorities also allege he’s responsible for the death of a woman who worked for him.
Aranda-Soto faces the death penalty if convicted of the various charges.
