Ivan Mauricio Hernandez-Mosqueda, a 32-year-old Mexican national from Penjamo, Guanajuato, Mexico, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to unlawfully enter the United States. The sentence was handed down on April 2, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Krissa M. Lanham.
Court proceedings revealed that over 100 people had used Hernandez-Mosqueda’s organization to be smuggled into the United States through Arizona. Starting in early 2023, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered many Mexican nationals who entered the United States illegally, claiming asylum. Several encounters involved family units reporting that Hernandez-Mosqueda was known in their hometown as someone who facilitated illegal entry into the U.S.
Hernandez-Mosqueda reportedly coached the individuals on falsely claiming asylum to obtain legal status once inside the United States. He gained referrals through platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp from those who had already used his services.
The investigation was conducted by the Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol Sector Intelligence Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart Zander and Matthew Doyle from the District of Arizona, Phoenix.