In a significant display of bilateral cooperation, the United States and Mexico joined forces to dismantle a major transnational human smuggling organization operating along their shared border in Juarez, Chihuahua. The operation, conducted by the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (FGR), underscores the critical role Mexican cartels play in the lucrative and dangerous business of human smuggling.
The targeted group, based in Juarez, utilized smuggling routes in the Anapra, Chihuahua/Santa Teresa, New Mexico area. Crucially, the organization allegedly employs Mexican nationals, many with ties to established Mexico-based cartels. This cartel connection highlights the deep entrenchment of organized crime within human smuggling networks, which extend from Central America to the US border and beyond. The smugglers are accused of illegally moving large numbers of people, including vulnerable children, into El Paso, Texas. Adding to the severity of their crimes, the organization is also implicated in kidnapping migrants and extorting their families for ransom before completing the perilous journey into the United States.
The enforcement action saw the execution of arrest warrants in Mexico for Brian Alan Torres Gonzalez and Soledad Morales Nava, both suspected human smugglers. As Mexican citizens, Torres and Morales will face prosecution in Mexico, with evidence provided by the United States, demonstrating the collaborative nature of this international law enforcement effort.
“From day one, the Attorney General has directed the Department of Justice to prioritize the dismantling of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, empowering Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) to intensify its contributions,” stated Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. This operation exemplifies JTFA’s vital role in coordinating Department resources and collaborating with international partners to effectively combat human smugglers and the criminal organizations, including Mexican cartels, that enable them.
JTFA, established in 2021, pools resources from the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to bolster enforcement against the most dangerous human smuggling and trafficking networks operating across Mexico, Central America, and Panama. Elevated to the Office of the Attorney General, JTFA’s mission is to disrupt and dismantle networks that exploit migrants, pose national security risks, and are deeply interwoven with organized crime, including the powerful cartels of Mexico. The task force includes personnel from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border and various sections within the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. JTFA also benefits from substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other agencies. To date, JTFA’s efforts have led to over 350 arrests, 300 US convictions, and significant sentences for over 245 defendants, alongside the seizure of millions of dollars in assets, weapons, and drugs.
Crucial support for the Mexican operation was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) El Paso, working alongside the U.S. Border Patrol. ICE HSI-Mexico City played a vital role in facilitating coordination between US and Mexican law enforcement agencies. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas in El Paso, HRSP, and the Office of the Judicial Attache in Mexico City also provided significant assistance, highlighting the multi-faceted approach to tackling cartel-related human smuggling. This operation underscores the ongoing commitment of both the US and Mexico to combatting transnational crime and specifically targeting the human smuggling operations increasingly controlled by Mexican cartels.
