A major alien smuggling ring responsible for bringing hundreds of undocumented individuals into the United States has been disrupted, resulting in the indictment of 14 individuals and the arrest of eight.
A grand jury in Las Cruces, New Mexico, returned an indictment on February 19th charging the individuals with conspiracy to transport, harbor, and bring in illegal aliens to the United States. Eight of those charged were arrested in a coordinated operation on February 20th and 21st.
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“Today’s indictment alleges that the defendants engaged in a sophisticated conspiracy to smuggle aliens into and throughout the United States at great danger to the aliens, resulting in the death of one person,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
The indictment alleges that the smuggling organization operated along the U.S. southern border, bringing undocumented individuals, including unaccompanied children, from Mexico into the United States through New Mexico and South Texas. The defendants allegedly transported the individuals within the U.S., concealing them in “stash houses” and employing tactics to evade law enforcement.
The indictment also alleges that one illegal alien died from heat exposure during a smuggling operation and was abandoned in the desert.
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“Human smuggling organizations threaten our national security and exploit vulnerable individuals for profit, putting their lives at risk and undermining public safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin for the District of New Mexico.
This operation is the result of a coordinated effort by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), established in June 2021, to combat the rise in dangerous alien smuggling and trafficking groups. JTFA comprises members from various U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the FBI, and the DEA.
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“We are appreciative of our brave law enforcement partners for their continued vigilance in investigating and apprehending members of transnational criminal organizations who conspire to undermine our nation’s immigration laws for their profit, with a callous and reckless disregard for the sanctity of life,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) El Paso Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens.
The defendants face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted.
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