Three individuals have received federal prison sentences for their involvement in a human smuggling and labor trafficking operation that subjected Mexican and Central American workers to brutal conditions on South Georgia farms. The sentences, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa G. Wood, conclude a multi-year, transnational investigation into the illicit scheme.
Margarita Rojas Cardenas, 48, of Reidsville, Georgia, was sentenced to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay $20,838.94 in restitution for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Nery Rene Carrillo-Najarro, 61, of Douglas, Georgia, received 40 months for the same charge, with a restitution hearing scheduled for August 4, 2026. Brett Donavan Bussey, 44, also of Douglas, was sentenced to 10 months and ordered to pay $6,224.73 in restitution for his role in the conspiracy. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Margaret E. ‘Meg’ Heap said, "This case is an outstanding example of the extensive collaboration with our partner government agencies which led to these convictions. The work carried out by these professionals has had a direct impact in protecting vulnerable people and preserving the American dream for those who pursue it."
Investigators began probing the Patricio transnational criminal organization in November 2018. Court documents revealed that since at least 2015, conspirators fraudulently used the H-2A work visa program to transport foreign nationals from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras into the U.S. under false pretenses of agricultural work. Workers were forced to pay unlawful fees, had their documents withheld, and were subjected to demanding labor for little or no pay, housed in unsanitary conditions, and threatened with deportation and violence. The scheme allegedly reaped over $200 million, laundered through various means including property purchases and a casino.
Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, emphasized the commitment to accountability, saying, "Federal labor programs are not a playground for criminals. Let these sentencings send a clear message: if you exploit workers, commit fraud, launder money, or abuse programs designed to help people, my office will find you and hold you accountable."
These sentencings bring the case against the original 24 defendants to a close, with many receiving incarceration and a total restitution exceeding $1.3 million for the victims. The investigation, dubbed Operation Blooming Onion, involved numerous federal and state agencies.