News Releases and Statements

The jury convicted Aurelio Barajas-Pulido, 52, a legal permanent resident, for human smuggling following a one-day trial. The jury deliberated for approximately four hours before convicting Barajas-Pulido.

The indictment alleges that from a date unknown until April 8, Mexican nationals Olegario Lares-De La Rosa, 29, and Ivan Heriberto Borboa-Ruiz, 28, conspired together to detain two undocumented noncitizens in order to compel family members to pay money as a condition for their release.

Abraham J. Ahumada, 23, of Laredo, went before U.S. District Judge, Marina Garcia Marmolejo to plead guilty for conspiracy to transport noncitizens resulting in death. During his court hearing, he admitted to leaving the victims behind after a car accident.

Darwuin Sai Kabrera-Garsia 26, plead guilty April 28 for smuggling three noncitizens resulting in the death of one.

Fabian Hernandez, 29, Emmanuel Ferral-Tonche, 20, both of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, were sentenced April 26 in federal courts to 60 months. Both are expected to face removal proceedings upon completion their sentence. At the hearing Tuesday, the court heard additional evidence that neither man attempted to help look for or offer water to the noncitizens they smuggled despite the great heat.

On April 19, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Daniel Chavez, 29, from Elkhart, Texas. He was originally charged by criminal complaint.

The operation kicked off at 10:00 a.m. on April 18, during a ceremony at the Virginia Welcome Center in on I-95 in Caroline County, Virginia. The operation will continue through April 20.

The United States Attorney’s office awarded Joshua Lankford, 33, and Lakeya Aldridge, 41, both of Federalsburg, Maryland to 17 years and nine years in federal prison respectively for their roles in the offense. The pair used drugs to control their victim, and later threatened to kill her in order to prevent her from providing testimony at their trial. Lankford, who led and organized the conspiracy was sentenced on April 8, and Aldridge was sentenced on April 14.

Antonio Hurtado had a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge William V. Gallo, where he admitted that on the evening of May 1, 2021, and into the following morning, he piloted a vessel from Mexico into the United States. Aboard the vessel were 32 individuals who had agreed to pay between $15,000 and $18,000 each to be brought into the United States illegally, including three unaccompanied minors.

According to court documents, Israel Ulloa-Osorio, 27, was an active member and key foot guide for a complex human smuggling organization that guides groups of undocumented noncitizens for several days through the West Texas desert to pick-up locations on I-10.

Miguel Angel Castillo, 23, from Donna, Texas, was sentenced March 31 in federal court to 240 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.

Isaiah Gore, 21, and Denerio Williams, 22, were sentenced March 25 by U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo. Judge Marmolejo sentenced Gore to 30 months in federal prison while Williams was ordered to serve 24 months.

During this two-day undercover investigation aimed at addressing human trafficking in the east Tennessee area, officers placed several decoy advertisements on websites known to be linked to prostitution and commercial sex. The focus of the operation was to identify individuals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts with minors.

The enforcement operation on March 2, 2022 included the execution of six arrest warrants in Mexico for smuggling coordinators: Arturo Tienda-Garcia, aka “Tuercas,” Jose Guadalupe Tienda-Garcia, aka “Pantera,” Gilberto Escalante-Osuna, aka “Mochomo,” Uriel Cruz-Tienda, aka “Quiqui,” Cristal Tolentino-Hernandez, and Alfonso Sotelo-Contreras, aka “Pajaro.”

Viriam Lizeth Huerta-Garcia, 24, a resident of Edinburg, Texas, pleaded guilty March 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants.  She is scheduled to be sentenced on the charges May 26 and faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Jesus Ochoa, 26, of Laredo, and Luis Armando Garcia, 29, of Mexico, appeared before U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo to admit their guilt for the Feb. 28 criminal scheme.

Victor Manuel Monsivais, 67, was sentenced March 1 in federal court to 33 months in federal prison. Monsivais was found guilty by a jury trial Aug. 19, 2021.

Amalia Gonzalez-Lara, 43, of Oaxaca, Mexico, pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2021, to one count of conspiring to transport and harbor over 100 illegal aliens for profit. Gonzalez-Lara managed, supervised, and coordinated smuggling operations for a stash house located in Avondale, Arizona.

This joint operation was conducted in Scottsdale and Phoenix and resulted in 118 arrests related to prostitution, luring, pandering, escort service violations, and warrants.

This was a joint operation between HSI and the Peruvian National Police (PNP), with an NGO that assists human trafficking victims.

This case was initiated from a Jan 2021 event where 19 foreign nationals were murdered in a human smuggling event in Tamaulipas, Mexico, in attempt to reach the United States. Sixteen of those killed were Guatemalan nationals. Seizures included both foreign and US currency at approximately $203,000 USD, five vehicles, sixty-one illegal gambling machines, one firearm, ammunition, and various electronic devices.

Benjamin Gallegos, 24, of Nogales, Arizona, admitted to conspiring to transport and harbor noncitizens for profit. Specifically, Gallegos managed, organized and coordinated other co-conspirators to drive, provide guide services, and operate stash houses for undocumented persons seeking to be smuggled into the United States.

According to court documents, Jose Alejandro Crecencio, 21, was parked in a Chevy Tahoe at the Big Bend National Park Visitor’s Center when a U.S. Border Patrol agent attempted to make contact with him. Crecencio sped away from the area and a short time later, six individuals were observed by the Border Patrol agent and a park ranger exiting the stopped Tahoe and absconding into the nearby brush.

In Fiscal Year 2021, ICE’s HSI arrested 2,360 individuals in connection with human trafficking. From those cases, more than 720 trafficking victims were identified and offered critical assistance.

Rene Garcia, a resident of San Benito, Texas, was sentenced Jan. 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to 41 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Garcia pleaded guilty to the charges Aug. 5, 2021.