A Mexican national residing illegally in Laredo, Texas, has been indicted on charges of conspiracy to smuggle and harbor illegal aliens. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Giovana Lozano Hernandez, 26, was initially charged by criminal complaint and is expected to appear for arraignment before a U.S. magistrate judge soon.
The indictment alleges that Hernandez participated as an alien smuggler in an ongoing conspiracy. She was taken into custody on February 19.
According to the charges, Hernandez allegedly used multiple cell phones to facilitate the smuggling activities. An incident on October 28, 2024, reportedly involved numerous digital images of paper ledgers and illegal aliens found on her devices. Authorities also discovered voice messages between Hernandez and co-conspirators discussing human smuggling operations and financial accountability for transported and housed illegal aliens. Video messages depicting transportation activities were also found.
If convicted, Hernandez could face up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count in the indictment.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety with assistance from the Laredo Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to combat illegal immigration by utilizing resources from the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
It is important to note that an indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct but not evidence of guilt. A defendant remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due process.