The United States and Mexico successfully collaborated to extradite a suspected alien smuggler, Raul Saucedo-Huipio, 49, from Mexicali, a city on the US-Mexico border. Saucedo-Huipio is accused of operating an international alien smuggling ring for several years. He was arrested in Mexico on March 2, 2023, at the request of US authorities and extradited on February 21, 2025. He faces charges filed in the District of Arizona.
Saucedo-Huipio’s alleged co-conspirator, Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, 62, was extradited from Mexico in 2023 and pleaded guilty on December 18, 2024, to conspiracy and substantive counts of bringing undocumented immigrants into the United States. Saucedo-Huipio’s initial court appearance was in the Southern District of California on February 21, 2025.
International Smuggling Operation
Court documents allege that Saucedo-Huipio and Hernandez-Salas, along with other smugglers, facilitated the illegal entry of numerous migrants into the United States. These migrants originated from various countries including Bangladesh, Yemen, and several nations in South and Central America. The operation charged migrants up to tens of thousands of dollars for the journey.
The smugglers reportedly directed migrants to illegal border crossing points, sometimes providing tools like ladders to scale border fences. They are also accused of robbing migrants at gunpoint and knifepoint. The complexity and scope of this alleged criminal enterprise highlight the challenges in securing the US-Mexico border. This case underscores the need for continued international cooperation to combat human smuggling.
Joint Task Force Alpha and Sanctions
In June 2023, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on this transnational criminal organization. The arrest and extradition were coordinated through Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), a collaborative effort between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. JTFA aims to dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Central America and Mexico.
JTFA focuses on organizations that endanger, abuse, or exploit migrants, pose national security risks, or engage in other transnational organized crimes. The task force has expanded its efforts to Colombia and Panama to address human smuggling in the Darién Gap. JTFA’s work has led to numerous arrests, convictions, and asset forfeitures.
Ongoing Investigation and Support
The investigation, led by ICE HSI Yuma, involves multiple agencies, including US Border Patrol, CBP, FBI, and the US Marshals Service, along with international partners like INTERPOL and Mexican authorities. This case also receives support from the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, which targets human smuggling networks posing national security or public safety risks.
The successful extradition of Saucedo-Huipio demonstrates the commitment of both US and Mexican authorities to combating human smuggling. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion and Assistant US Attorney Stuart J. Zander. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs played a key role in securing the arrest and extradition.
This is an ongoing investigation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
