SANTA ANA, CA – A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee, Eddy Reyes, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to orchestrating the kidnapping and murder of his wife, Claudia Sanchez Reyes. The case, described by U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton as “heinous” and “a product of pure evil,” unfolded in 2016.
Eddy Reyes and his wife Claudia, both originally from El Salvador, moved to the United States in 2014. Claudia later made domestic violence allegations against Reyes.
In 2016, suspecting his wife of infidelity, Reyes concocted a plan to murder her. He enlisted the help of his half-brother, known in court documents as “P.O.” P.O. was a former gang member and was called a gravedigger from El Salvador.
On May 6, 2016, Reyes orchestrated the fateful night by luring Claudia into a rented SUV under the pretense of dinner. Instead of going out, he drove to his mother’s house, where P.O. was waiting in the garage. Once inside, P.O. attacked and strangled Claudia with a seat belt after being let into the vehicle, according to the Department of Justice.
Following the murder, Reyes and P.O. used Claudia’s phone to fabricate messages, calling her out from work and dismissing her divorce lawyer. They also sent deceptive text messages to her family, claiming she had found a new partner and left with her son. Despite filing a missing person report weeks later, Reyes remained uncooperative with authorities.
In April 2021, Reyes was arrested following a criminal complaint accusing him of kidnapping. During plea negotiations, Reyes admitted to his involvement but claimed P.O. was responsible for disposing of the body. Claudia’s remains have never been discovered, as efforts to locate them, even with detection dogs, have failed.
The plea agreement proposed a 30-year sentence in exchange for his cooperation, though the court had discretion over the final sentence. Despite the agreement, Judge Staton opted for a 40-year sentence based on the grievous nature of the crime.
Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney for the case, condemned Reyes’ actions as a “cold-blooded murder,” expressing condolences to the victim’s family and gratitude to the team that ensured justice was served.
