Two Albuquerque Men Plead Guilty to Harboring Undocumented Immigrants and Ransom Conspiracy

ALBUQUERQUE – Two Albuquerque men have pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport and harbor undocumented immigrants after federal agents uncovered a stash house linked to a kidnapping and ransom scheme.

According to court documents, the investigation began on March 1, 2025, when the FBI received a kidnapping complaint reporting that the victim’s family was being extorted for ransom under threats of violence and cartel involvement. Agents traced the ransom calls to a residence in southwest Albuquerque and executed a search warrant the following day. Inside, they found 11 undocumented immigrants, including an unaccompanied minor, along with more than 20 cell phones and a ledger of smuggling activity. Victims reported being locked in rooms, threatened with violence, and told not to contact law enforcement. Both Isaias David Jose and Tomas Mateo Gaspar were identified as running the stash house and producing ransom videos.

Jose and Gaspar admitted to their roles in a conspiracy to transport and harbor undocumented immigrants in Albuquerque between late February and early March 2025. Jose maintained the stash house and took videos of the individuals he was harboring, while Gaspar lived at the residence without paying rent and supported the operation by cooking, cleaning, and helping manage the premises. Both defendants acknowledged they knowingly participated in the conspiracy, which was carried out in exchange for money.

At sentencing, Jose and Gaspar both face up to 10 years in prison. Upon their release from prison, Jose and Gaspar will be subject to three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec is prosecuting the case as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.