A leader of a migrant smuggling ring received a 10-year prison sentence May 28, 2024, for her involvement in trafficking over 100 migrants from Honduras to the United States for profit.
The Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) has secured over 240 convictions since its launch three years ago.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has said it is crucial to hold accountable the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling groups like the one led by the defendant, Maria Mendoza-Mendoza.
Maria Mendoza-Mendoza, also known as La Guera, 52, of Honduras, orchestrated the movement of migrants from Honduras to the U.S.-Mexico border and operated stash houses in Phoenix, Arizona.
There, migrants were detained until their smuggling fees were paid. Mendoza-Mendoza exercised authority within the organization, imposing punitive sanctions and threatening violence against those who did not comply.
The defendant was indicted in January 2018 and extradited from Honduras to the United States in June 2023.
She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit in January.
The prosecution was the result of coordinated efforts by JTFA, which collaborates with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to combat human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
Special Agent in Charge Fransisco B. Burrola of HSI Arizona said the danger and exploitation associated with human smuggling was serious, and revealed law enforcement agencies’ commitment to combat this cross-border crime.
