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-Editorial
A coordinated effort between the United States and Mexico led to a major enforcement operation against a transnational human smuggling organization operating in Juarez, Chihuahua, along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Mexico Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la República, FGR) carried out the operation, targeting a group accused of illegally smuggling large numbers of individuals, including children, from Central America into El Paso, Texas.
Authorities allege that the criminal organization, which operates along smuggling corridors in Anapra, Chihuahua, and Santa Teresa, New Mexico, employs Mexican nationals, including current and former cartel members. The group is also accused of kidnapping migrants attempting to enter the U.S. illegally and extorting their families for ransom.
The operation resulted in the execution of two arrest warrants in Mexico for alleged human smugglers Brian Alan Torres Gonzalez and Soledad Morales Nava. Both individuals, who are Mexican citizens, will face prosecution in Mexico, in part with evidence provided by U.S. authorities.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division highlighted the role of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) in the operation. “Today’s action by Mexican authorities is the latest example of how JTFA provides critical contributions to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department, and its law enforcement partners, to target human smugglers and enhance coordination in transnational law enforcement efforts,” Bacon stated.
JTFA, established in 2021, enhances U.S. enforcement efforts against major human smuggling and trafficking networks operating across Latin America. Attorney General Pamela Bondi recently elevated JTFA to be jointly supervised by the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, reinforcing its role in dismantling criminal organizations that exploit migrants and threaten national security.
Since its inception, JTFA’s work has led to over 350 domestic and international arrests of key human smuggling figures, more than 300 convictions in the U.S., and significant asset seizures, including millions of dollars in cash, vehicles, firearms, and drugs. The task force operates with support from multiple agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI).
ICE HSI El Paso and U.S. Border Patrol assisted with investigative efforts in the U.S., while ICE HSI-Mexico City facilitated coordination between American and Mexican law enforcement agencies. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and the Office of the Judicial Attaché in Mexico City also played key roles in the operation.
