DOJ Charges 14 in “Extensive Alien Smuggling Organization” Bust
The Justice Department recently announced that 14 individuals have been indicted for their roles in an “extensive alien smuggling organization," with eight additional arrests made in connection to the illegal transportation of hundreds of migrants into the United States.
According to a DOJ press release, a grand jury in Las Cruces, New Mexico, returned indictments against the 14 defendants, accusing them of conspiracy to "transport, harbor, and bring illegal aliens" across the southern border. Eight of those indicted were arrested earlier this week.
“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,” stated Antoinette T. Bacon, Supervisory Official at the DOJ's Criminal Division.
Bacon also emphasized that the Justice Department, in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), "dismantled an alien smuggling organization based in Mexico that has allegedly smuggled hundreds of illegal aliens, including unaccompanied children, through New Mexico and South Texas.”
“We are committed to eliminating transnational alien smuggling organizations that exploit migrants purely for profit and undermine our national security,” she added.
The indictment claims that the group not only smuggled individuals across the U.S.-Mexico border but also helped transport them further into the U.S., often hiding them in “stash houses” along the journey, according to the DOJ.
In certain cases, the defendants allegedly attempted to evade law enforcement by "driving at high speeds" and coaching the migrants on how to flee U.S. Border Patrol agents and bypass checkpoints. Tragically, one individual reportedly succumbed to heat exposure during a smuggling attempt and was left behind in the desert, officials said.
“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.
Kastrin affirmed that his office remains committed to working with "federal, state, and local partners" to dismantle these criminal enterprises and "seize the illicit proceeds" they generate.
The arrests come in the wake of a series of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump aimed at reversing many of the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration and border policies, which had been criticized for creating an "open border" environment.
Under Biden and Harris, officials estimated that nearly 8 million individuals were apprehended attempting to cross the southern border illegally.
Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) El Paso, praised the efforts of law enforcement: “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.”
Stevens further noted, “As this case sadly demonstrates, human smuggling is a crime that takes lives and puts the public at risk. ICE HSI is passionately devoted to using its abundant authority to identify, investigate, and arrest criminals who prey on the vulnerabilities of people they treat as human cargo.”
Each of the 14 defendants faces charges of conspiracy to bring, transport, and harbor illegal aliens. If convicted, they could each receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Sentencing will be determined by a federal district judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other statutory factors, the DOJ clarified.