A Mexican national has pleaded guilty to involvement in an alien smuggling operation that resulted in a death, according to an announcement made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose Guadalupe Antonio-Arredondo, 23, admitted to his role on July 12, 2024, as a river guide assisting in the smuggling of an individual across the border. Antonio-Arredondo guided the individual and a brush guide to the border wall before returning to Mexico.
After crossing the wall, the smuggled individual experienced breathing difficulties and collapsed. The brush guide left him in the brush and sought concealment in a nearby house to evade law enforcement. Authorities eventually located the individual and transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead on July 17, 2024.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane accepted the guilty plea, with sentencing scheduled for June 20. Antonio-Arredondo could face a life sentence and a fine of up to $250,000. He will remain in custody until the sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Ganjei commented, "Human smuggling is a dangerous enterprise, one that doesn’t care about the lives or well-being of those that are being smuggled. The loss of life in this incident is yet another example of why it is so vital to discourage people from risking their lives trying to enter this country illegally."
The investigation was conducted by Border Patrol, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker prosecuting the case.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, a national initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations involved in violent crimes. The operation consolidates the efforts of the Attorney General's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.