Men indicted for conspiracy to transport, harbor undocumented noncitizens after HSI Douglas investigation

TUCSON, Ariz. — Last week, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against two Arizona men for conspiracy to transport and harbor undocumented people for profit in a case led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assisted by Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Phoenix and U.S. Border Patrol Sonoita.

The complaint alleges that an investigation identified Juan Manuel Soto-Guzman, 41, of Mexico, as a person involved in a conspiracy to transport undocumented noncitizens for profit. Authorities identified him as a smuggling coordinator, responsible for coordinating the transportation and harboring of undocumented noncitizens and housing them in Phoenix before coordinating their transportation to their final destinations within the United States.

Further, authorities identified Adulfo Soto-Guzman, 45, of Mexico, as a member of the conspiracy. The complaint alleges that he was responsible for delivering money to other co-conspirators to pay load drivers and finance human smuggling activities. Many of the undocumented noncitizens had crossed the border from Mexico and were transported through Southern Arizona to stash houses in Phoenix as they waited for further transportation within the U.S.

During the investigation, agents seized over 20 notebooks containing ledgers detailing human smuggling, cash payments due and cellphones previously identified as being used by this organization.

A conviction for conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal noncitizens carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This prosecution resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is prosecuting the case.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.