U.S. District Judge Fred Biery handed down the sentence on Wednesday. Credit: Shutterstock / Phanphen Kaewwannarat

A San Antonio area man will spend 120 years behind bars for alleged his role in a kidnapping conspiracy in which undocumented migrants were held hostage in hotel rooms for ransom, U.S. Justice Department officials said Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery in San Antonio sentenced Joshua Lee Balderas, 33, on one count of conspiracy to kidnap and two counts related to the harboring of undocumented migrants, causing serious bodily harm and injury while placing the life of a person in jeopardy.

Balderas and the other conspirators are accused of kidnapping seven undocumented migrants three years ago in La Pryor and holding them hostage in Alamo City hotel rooms. Balderas brandished firearms to maintain control and also sexually assaulted one of the kidnapped migrants at gunpoint, federal prosecutors allege.

One of the victims’ family members also said during the trial that the family paid $7,000 to Balderas for the release of their loved one, according to federal authorities.

“This sentence, undoubtedly keeping Balderas confined for the remainder of his life, reflects the egregious nature of these human smuggling crimes,” U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District Court of Texas said in a statement. “It should send a clear message throughout the nation and across our borders that we take these prosecutions very seriously and will aggressively seek to deliver justice.”

Biery sentenced Balderas to the maximum of 20 years on each of the harboring counts and 80 years on the kidnapping charge. The sentences to run consecutively.

Another member of the alleged conspiracy, San Antonio resident Kaylen Alexander Brondo, 26,  is scheduled to be sentenced for his role in the crime in August, according to Justice Department officials.

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This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 9, 2025.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...