KANSAS CITY, MO. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Missouri, Western), published as received.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Guatemalan national has pleaded guilty to an immigration violation in the Western District of Missouri.

Guatemalan national Juan Carlos Paxtor-Chay, 42, pleaded guilty to transporting illegal aliens within the United States. The plea was entered today before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough.

On Jan. 9, 2026, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling along Interstate 70 near Boonville, Mo. The driver, Paxtor-Chay, was transporting six passengers in the vehicle.  All seven occupants were subsequently determined to be illegal aliens unlawfully present in the United States. 

Paxtor-Chay admitted that he was transporting the passengers from Los Angeles to Canton, Ohio where they were to work, and that he expected to be paid upon arrival.  He further acknowledged that he had transported illegal aliens in this manner on about seven prior occasions.

Under federal statutes, Paxtor-Chay is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 11, 2027.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV.  It was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations  and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.