A newly unsealed federal indictment has charged 14 individuals accused of orchestrating a large-scale migrant smuggling network, according to the Department of Justice. The group allegedly transported hundreds of people, including unaccompanied minors, into the United States from South and Central America, using the southern border as a key entry point.
The charges, filed last week in a Las Cruces, New Mexico, grand jury, include conspiracy to transport, harbor, and bring undocumented migrants into the country. If convicted, the defendants face up to a decade behind bars. Authorities have already arrested eight suspects, with the operation believed to be based in Mexico.
Prosecutors allege the network used “stash houses” to hide migrants while moving them across U.S. territory, often employing high-speed driving to evade law enforcement. Migrants were reportedly instructed on how to bypass Border Patrol checkpoints. The indictment also claims that during one smuggling attempt, a migrant died from heat exposure and was left behind in the desert.
Officials emphasized that such smuggling rings prioritize profit over human life, posing a threat to national security. The case highlights ongoing efforts to dismantle transnational criminal networks operating along the border.