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Eight people were arrested in several southern U.S. cities for allegedly being members of a human trafficking ring that helped immigrants cross the border inhumanely, stuffed in suitcases or boxes.
The detainees, motivated by personal greed, transported hundreds or even thousands of immigrants from Mexico to the U.S. in life-threatening conditions, said Kenneth Polite, Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s Criminal Division, at a press conference.
Two of those arrested, whose nationalities were not specified by the authorities, are Erminia Serrano Piedra, alias Irma, and Boss Lady, 31, ringleaders of the network.
Six other people were arrested in various cities in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama and are accused of facilitating the transportation and illegal movement of migrants within the U.S. in deplorable conditions for profit.
One of the raids resulted in the release of twelve migrants hiding in a house, including two minors.
The migrants were allegedly citizens of Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia, whose families allegedly paid members of the organization to help them travel illegally to the U.S.
They were smuggled across the border inhumanely and then sheltered in “stash houses” in places such as Laredo and Austin, Texas.
The drivers, who charged about $2,500 per person transported, used various methods to transport them, including hiding them in suitcases or wooden crates transported in pickup trucks or cramming them into the back of tractor-trailers or tanker trucks.
Authorities seized three properties from the detainees, where they reportedly hid the migrants and over $2.2 million worth of cash.
The operation was conducted as part of the efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was established in June 2021 by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to enhance enforcement against the most prolific and dangerous smuggling and human 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 and pose threats to national security.
