A Mexican man arrested in Morden last year as he tried to smuggle five Mexican nationals into the United States has been sentenced to three years in prison.

“The gravity of this offence is very significant,” provincial court Judge Wanda Garreck told 35-year-old Jose Hilario-Pimental at a sentencing hearing Wednesday, saying a “clear message” must be sent to other would-be human smugglers that their actions won’t be tolerated by the court.

Hilario-Pimental was arrested March 8, 2024, after Morden police pulled over a van he was driving that had five passengers. The van had Ontario licence plates and was registered in another person’s name.

“The gravity of this offence is very significant.”

The five passengers, all of whom had Mexican passports, provided conflicting answers when asked wh

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