US Authorities Bust Smuggling Ring, Indict 14 Suspects

U.S. authorities have charged 14 people with conspiracy to transport, harbor, and bring illegal migrants into the country, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Monday. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison.

A grand jury in Las Cruces, New Mexico, returned the indictment last week, formally charging 14 alleged members of what the DOJ described as a "prolific alien smuggling organization" that smuggled migrants from South and Central America into the U.S. via the southern border. Following the indictment, police arrested eight members of the group, which is allegedly based in Mexico.

The suspects are accused of conspiring to bring hundreds of undocumented migrants, including unaccompanied children, into the U.S. and hiding them in “stash houses” while moving them across the country.

In some smuggling operations, the group allegedly evaded law enforcement by driving at high speeds and instructing migrants on how to flee the U.S. Border Patrol and avoid checkpoints.

The indictment also alleges that one migrant died from heat exposure during a smuggling operation and was abandoned in the desert.

DOJ officials said smuggling organizations exploit migrants for profit while undermining U.S. national security.