DOJ Indicts 14 Members Of ‘Extensive’ Migrant Smuggling Operation

“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,” Stevens noted further, per the DOJ press release.

Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to bring, transport, and harbor illegal aliens in the United States. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

A federal district court judge will determine the final sentence, taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, the DOJ added in its press release.