DOJ Indicts 14 Members Of ‘Extensive’ Migrant Smuggling Operation

In some instances, the defendants allegedly evaded law enforcement by driving at high speeds and advising the undocumented individuals on how to flee from U.S. Border Patrol and bypass checkpoints. The indictment further alleges that one undocumented individual died from heat exposure during a smuggling attempt and was abandoned in the desert, the DOJ added.

“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.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Mexico is committed to continuing to work with our federal, state and local partners to dismantle transnational human smuggling organizations, hold their leaders accountable, and seize the illicit proceeds generated by these exploitative enterprises,” Kastrin continued.

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