Four people have been charged for being part of a smuggling ring that tried to bring children from Mexico into the United States, including giving them drug-laced candy, according to a new report.
Two of the suspects, U.S. citizen Dianne Guadian and permanent resident Manuel Valenzuela, were arrested on August 30 in El Paso.
The complaint says that between May and October last year, the group was part of a larger smuggling network moving unaccompanied children, ages 5 to 13, illegally into the U.S.
According to investigators, two members paid drivers $900 each to take children from Mexico to border crossings, using fake documents to pretend they were the children’s parents. In at least one case, children were given marijuana gummies to sedate them. One child had to be hospitalized and was diagnosed with marijuana poisoning.
“Targeting children in this way is especially dangerous and cruel. The Criminal Division is dedicated to safeguarding vulnerable populations and dismantling the for-profit smuggling networks that exploit them,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, according to Border Report.
Smuggling cases like this are common along the border. In August, a 16-year-old was arrested after trying to smuggle four migrants through the southern border, Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said.
The incident happened earlier in El Paso, Texas, when four migrants were seen getting into the teen’s car. Authorities tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused and a short chase followed.
“Law enforcement swiftly activated a vehicle immobilization device that brought the car to a stop. The 16-year-old driver was arrested and now faces state charges for human smuggling,” Banks said, adding that the migrants will be “processed according to immigration law.”
Officials also reported this week that another U.S. citizen was caught by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents while allegedly attempting to smuggle 12 migrants into the country.
