Fact Sheet: Initiative to Combat Transnational Human Smuggling and Trafficking Networks Marks Third Anniversary

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) in June 2021 in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking emanating from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico and impacting our border communities, with a particular focus on individuals and networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger those being smuggled, pose national security threats, or have links to transnational organized crime.

Since its creation in June 2021, JTFA has delivered significant results, including:

• 300+ domestic and international arrests, including against leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators;
• 240+ U.S. convictions;
• 170+ U.S. defendants sentenced, including significant jail sentences imposed;
• Substantial seizures and forfeiture of assets and contraband including hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs; and
• Multiple indictments and precedent setting extraditions of foreign leadership targets.

Over the past three years, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and with foreign law enforcement partners, targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States, and coordinated significant investigations, indictments, extraditions, and successful prosecution efforts both across the Southwest border and overseas.

Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of New Mexico, District of Arizona, and Southern District of California are detailed to JTFA to pursue its mission. Dedicated personnel and support is also provided by numerous components of the Justice Department that are part of JTFA, led by the Criminal Division's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; Office of International Affairs; and Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, along with the Executive Office for the U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA).

JTFA is made possible by substantial law enforcement investment from Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and Border Patrol, along with support from the FBI, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Air Marshals, and U.S. Coast Guard.

In December 2023, OCDETF announced the creation of a new strategic initiative to expand and further enhance targeting of TCOs and human smuggling and trafficking networks within its framework.

Press release announcing JTFA and readouts from national meetings

• Launch of JTFA (June 2021): Attorney General announces initiatives to combat human smuggling and trafficking and to fight corruption in Central America
• Washington, D.C. Summit (November 2021)
• San Diego Summit (June 2022)
• El Paso Summit (March 2023)
• Washington, D.C. Summit (December 2023)

Key cases

• United States v. Felipe Diego Alonzo, et al. (Western District of Texas)

  • U.S. and Guatemalan law enforcement coordination results in arrest of 19 members of human smuggling network, including four Guatemalan human smugglers wanted in the United States.

  • Justice Department announces first ever extraditions from Guatemala to the United States on human smuggling resulting in death charges.

  • Two Guatemalan defendants residing in Texas pleaded guilty to transporting and harboring illegal migrants for financial gain and resulting in death.

  • Four extradited defendants plead guilty and sentenced to nearly 70 years in prison in total.

• United States v. Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, et al. (District of Arizona)

  • Co-conspirators indicted for role in global human smuggling conspiracy.

  • Prolific Mexican smuggler arrested in Mexico and extradited pursuant to U.S. request.

• United States v. Maria Mendoza-Mendoza (District of Arizona)

  • First ever extradition from Honduras of prolific human smuggler.

• United States v. Erminia Serrano Piedra, et al. (Southern District of Texas

  • Eight indicted and arrested in a takedown of prolific human smuggling network.

  • Four indicted on charges of conspiracy to launder money.

  • Lead defendant and 10 others pleaded guilty to charges related to facilitation of illegal transportation and movement of hundreds of migrants within the United States and agree to over $2 million in forfeitures.

• United States v. Allison, et al. (Eastern District of Louisiana)

  • Eight defendants indicted for human smuggling and drug conspiracy offenses, and four convicted thus far, including lead defendant.

• United States v. Ronaldo Galindo Lopez-Escobar, et al. (District of New Mexico)

  • Ten indicted and six arrested in investigation of the Lopez Crime Family human smuggling organization operating in Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States.

• Operation Pollos Hermanos (District of Arizona)

  • Cooperation between United States and Mexico results in takedown operation to dismantle a prolific transnational human smuggling organization operating in Nogales, Sonora, along the U.S.-Mexico border.

  • Man pleaded guilty to operating Phoenix stash house and sentenced to 57 months in prison for conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal migrants for profit.

  • Woman pleaded guilty to transporting and harboring over 100 noncitizens.

  • Man pleaded guilty for role as coordinator for human smuggling organization in Nogales, Arizona.

  • Coordinator sentenced to 78 months in prison for role in conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal migrants for profit and illegal reentry.

  • Man sentenced to 46 months in prison for conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal migrants for profit.

  • Two men sentenced to 45 months in prison for roles in smuggling noncitizens to the United States.

• United States v. Victor Alfonso Soto Aguilar, et al. (Southern District of California)
  • Two defendant boat operators pleaded guilty for maritime smuggling resulting in the death of one passenger in La Jolla and sentenced to 71 and 60 months in prison.

• United States v. Gilberto Morales (Western District of Texas)

  • Jury finds defendant guilty at trial of criminal offenses, including conspiracy, transporting, and harboring noncitizens.

• United States v. Milon Miah (Southern District of Texas)

  • Defendant sentenced to 46 months in prison for role in smuggling noncitizens from Mexico to United States.

• United States v. Jose Luis Avalo, et al. (District of New Mexico)

  • Nine alleged human smugglers indicted in migrant smuggling organization.

• United States v. Jimenez-Bautista (Southern District of California)

  • Man pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a juvenile while smuggling group from Mexico to United States.