Fourteen individuals have been indicted and eight have been arrested as a result of the dismantling of a significant alien smuggling ring that was responsible for bringing numerous undocumented individuals into the United States.
In Las Cruces, New Mexico, a grand jury handed down an indictment on February 19th, accusing the individuals of conspiring to transport, harbor, and bring in illegal aliens to the United States. As a result of a coordinated operation on February 20th and 21st, eight of the individuals named in the indictment were arrested.
“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.
According to the indictment, the smuggling operation operated throughout the United States’ southern border, carrying undocumented immigrants, including unaccompanied minors, from Mexico into the country via New Mexico and South Texas. The defendants reportedly transported the persons within the United States, concealing them in “stash houses,” and used techniques to avoid law enforcement.
The indictment also claims that one illegal alien died of heat exposure during a smuggling operation and was abandoned in the desert.
“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 product of a concerted effort by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was formed in June 2021 to tackle the emergence of dangerous alien smuggling and trafficking organizations. JTFA members come from a variety of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“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.
If found guilty, the defendants could potentially face up to 10 years behind bars as the maximum penalty.