A group of human smugglers got slammed with serious prison time for their role in a deadly smuggling operation. The "Cobra" smuggling gang, responsible for trafficking more than 100 undocumented migrants and linked to a death and a sex assault, was hit with sentences, as per an announcement by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Leading the pack was Saul Torres-Martinez, aka Cobra, from Houston, who got a hefty 110-month prison stint. Running the operation, Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane threw the book at him during sentencing. His crew didn't fare much better, with Ernesto Mata Pioquinto and Marcelino Navarro Sanchez, both from Mexico, netting 52 months each. The investigation spanned around two years and dug into operations in the Rio Grande Valley.

Others involved, like Noemi Silva from Florida and Luis Esteban Martinez from Alamo, were sentenced to 87 months each. Robert Hernandez of Fresno will be behind bars for 39 months. On top of their sentences, a three-year supervised release awaits Hernandez, Silva, and Martinez once they're out. For those who aren't citizens, like Torres-Martinez, Pioquinto, and Sanchez, deportation is likely when they finish serving their time, the authorities indicated.

U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani minced no words in condemning the gang, asserting, "Human smuggling organizations simply don't care." He elaborated, "They do not see the migrants they transport as human beings but rather as currency." This disregard for human life led to grave consequences, including as smuggling fatality and a sexual assault by the smuggling organization's members. Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol spearheaded the investigation, which dealt a significant blow to the Cobra network, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Phelps leading the charge in prosecution.