Texas human trafficking ring accused of smuggling hundreds of migrants faces money laundering charges.
Alleged Human Trafficking Ring in Texas Faces Money Laundering Charges
Members of a human trafficking ring in Texas are facing new charges of money laundering, adding to their already extensive list of crimes. The group, accused of smuggling hundreds of migrants in deplorable conditions, allegedly concealed their payments for illegal border crossings by disguising them as compensation for fake construction jobs.
“Boss Lady” and three other alleged traffickers conspired to engage in financial transactions designed to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of ill-gotten proceeds of illicit human smuggling and the unlawful harboring and transportation of undocumented aliens.
The charges were filed against Erminia Serrano Piedra, also known as Irma or “Boss Lady,” and three men. According to the superseding indictment from a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas, the four suspects, who allegedly led the trafficking ring, recruited individuals to accept human smuggling payments into their bank accounts and then transfer the funds to the leaders as ”work” payments for construction.
Additionally, they recruited people to accept cash payments for human smuggling and then transfer the funds as checks from their business bank accounts. The indictment also mentions the criminal forfeiture of three properties and significant money judgments.
Previous Charges and Operation
Three of the four defendants were previously charged with human smuggling in a September indictment. The September indictment included shocking photos of migrants crammed in wooden crates, trapped in the back of tractor-trailers, and hidden in the bed cover of a pickup truck.
Last year’s indictment was the result of a large operation that arrested 14 alleged human smugglers, led by “Boss Lady.” The operation aimed to dismantle a prolific human smuggling network that profited from transporting migrants in deplorable conditions.
Smugglers’ Creative Tactics and Dangers for Migrants
Smugglers have resorted to various creative means to evade border authorities and bring their human cargo into the country. Recently, smugglers were caught using a fake U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) truck to attempt to sneak migrants over the U.S. border in California.
Border authorities emphasize the extreme danger migrants face when relying on smugglers to make the treacherous journey through Central America and across the U.S. border illegally. Tragic incidents, such as the death of 53 migrants in an 18-wheeler disguised as a legitimate truck, highlight the risks involved.
Biden Administration’s Immigration Policies
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has faced criticism for its handling of immigration, as it has allowed hundreds of thousands of new illegal migrants into the country. Over the past two years, the administration has utilized parole authority to admit at least 541,000 migrants without visas.
Compounding the issue is the expiration of Title 42, a COVID emergency rule that facilitated the swift deportation of migrants back to Mexico. Despite previous attempts by the Biden administration to end Title 42, it expired on May 11.
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