A human smuggler that led U.S. Border Patrol agents and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers in a vehicle pursuit has been sentenced to federal prison, according to a news release.

The news release said Julian Alberto Soto pleaded guilty to human smuggling charges and was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $100 fine.

According to the news release, the sentencing concluded a criminal operation that lasted from 2008 to 2025 across multiple areas of the Rio Grande Valley.

Soto led authorities in a vehicle pursuit in Roma in January. The pursuit ended when he drove his vehicle off an embankment to avoid arrest, according to the news release. Soto and the individuals being smuggled were taken into custody.

Soto's criminal history includes a previous federal sentence of more than four years for cocaine possession. At the time of his current arrest, he was on bond for another human smuggling case in Brooks County, according to the news release.

In August 2024, Soto was arrested and charged for smuggling 20 individuals, but those charges were dismissed due to "procedural issues," according to the news release. The investigation revealed Soto's coordination with several criminal organizations throughout his operation.