San Antonio Standard

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that eight alleged human smugglers were arrested in four southern states, which also led to the seizure of three properties and $2,299,152.40 through efforts by the Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA).

“Over a year ago, we launched Joint Task Force Alpha to strengthen our efforts across government to dismantle the most dangerous human smuggling and trafficking networks,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland, referring to his creation of the JTFA in June 2021. “The charges announced today are just the latest example of these efforts’ success. The Justice Department will continue to bring our full resources to bear to combat the human smuggling and trafficking groups that endanger our communities, abuse and exploit migrants, and threaten our national security.”

According to a released statement by the U.S. DOJ, Erminia Serrano Piedra aka Irma, and Boss Lady, 31, allegedly were the leaders of the human smuggling operation. Other alleged smugglers were: Kevin Daniel Nuber aka Captain, 41; Laura Nuber aka Barbie, 40; Lloyd Bexley, 51; Jeremy Dickens, 45; Katie Ann Garcia aka Guera, 39; Oliveria Piedra-Campuzana, 53; and Pedro Hairo Abrigo, 33.

The defendants were arrested in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama due to charges previously filed in the Southern District of Texas and unsealed on Sept. 13.

“Sadly, this case is an example of what we see in our district, too many times, especially in our border communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery for the Southern District of Texas. “Our Laredo office works continuously with our valued partners to bring to justice those who allegedly put profits ahead of everything else. No amount of money should be a substitute for human life.”

The statement released by the DOJ included photos showing 81 migrants crammed tightly in a tractor-trailer, as well as migrants being stashed in small areas like the trunk of a vehicle and storage containers.

The indictment said that the migrants- who were allegedly citizens of Mexico, Guatemala and Colombia, would often pay their life savings to have themselves or family travel illegally into the country, and deeper into the interior of the U.S. Migrants were known to pay up to $2,500 per person.

“This human smuggling organization operated on an enormous scale, placing a high value on financial profit, while putting migrants’ lives at great risk,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “JTFA will continue to use all means necessary to pursue and dismantle criminal smuggling networks and protect the vulnerable populations they exploit.”

The indictment said that human smuggling drivers would pick up migrants near the southern border and they were put through deplorable conditions. Examples are being put in “stash houses,” hiding in suitcases, crammed into pickup truck covered beds, put onto repurposed water tankers and inside wooden crates. They would often have poor air ventilation and put in areas of high heat.

“Human smugglers are criminals who do not care about human life,” said Deputy Commissioner Troy Miller of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). “They lie to make money, convincing vulnerable migrants to hand over what is often their life savings in exchange for empty promises to get to the United States. Smugglers regularly abandon migrants in the desert or mountains with no food or water, leaving them for dead. CBP strives to be flexible, adaptable, and to think outside the box when it comes to disrupting these criminal organizations and protecting migrants from harm.”

According to information by the CBP, Border Patrol Agents have had 2.15 million “encounters” with migrants at the southwest border between October 2021 to September 2022. This number has increased from last year’s total of 1.73 million between October 2020 and September 2021.

The JTFA was created by Garland in 2021 in collaboration with Department of Homeland Security. The goal is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking in Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. There have been more than 100 domestic and international arrests for those involved in human smuggling and trafficking, including leaders and organizers. Several dozens of convictions have been made leading to prison sentences. There have also been significant assets seized. The JFTA works with organizations both domestically and foreign to combat the issue.

Texas Public Policy Foundation Policy Scholar Selene Rodriguez said that “Human smuggling is the precursor of human trafficking,” in an interview with The Austin Journal in March.

“People who conspire with human smugglers to illegally enter the United States typically incur in thousands of dollars of debt to make the trip,” Rodriguez said to the Austin Journal. “After entering the country illegally, these same people are often forced to pay off that debt through forced labor and sexual exploitation, which is the essence of the modern-day slavery that is human trafficking.”