Four Mexican nationals living illegally in the United States were recently charged in an alleged international human smuggling conspiracy that brought hundreds of illegal immigrants across the Canadian border each week for profit.
According to a Justice Department news release, Edgar Sanchez-Solis, 23, Ignacio Diaz-Perez, 35, Samuel Diaz-Perez, 26, and Salvador Diaz-Diaz, 32, have been charged with conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States and 25 counts of bringing aliens illegally into the United States for profit.
The four men were arrested and detained in various locations across the United States, according to the release. Ignacio Diaz-Perez and Salvador Diaz-Diaz were previously deported from the United States.
According to court documents, the four men were part of an illegal immigrant smuggling organization that operated in Mexico, Canada, and the United States over the last two years.
According to documents, the men allegedly conspired with others to smuggle hundreds of people per week from Mexico, Central America, and South America across Canada into northern New York state in exchange for money. They would then be transported further into the United States.
Authorities allege that illegal immigrants or their family members paid thousands of dollars to be smuggled across the northern border.
“These individuals acted in blatant disregard of our nation’s laws, allegedly smuggling hundreds of aliens into the United States for thousands of dollars each,” said Erin Keegan, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo.
According to court documents, members of the smuggling organization led local and federal law enforcement officers on multiple high-speed car chases along the United States’ northern border, posing a “grave” public safety risk.
Smugglers allegedly fled the Burke Border Patrol Station’s sector at high speed after activating a border sensor in April 2023. Border agents say they discovered the smugglers were transporting seven illegal adults and three illegal children.
Another incident occurred in August 2023, when a vehicle carrying illegal immigrants fleeing Border Patrol entered Plattsburgh, New York, according to court documents.
It drove erratically, passed through a congested traffic area, ran a red light, and collided with another vehicle at an intersection. The driver and six illegal immigrants fled the crash site on foot, but were apprehended.
“These defendants illegally entered this country and then attempted to smuggle hundreds of aliens per week to the United States from Mexico, Central America, and South America through the Canadian border,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“The defendants directed smuggled aliens to create testimonial videos promoting the enterprise’s services. In reality, the defendants endangered their human cargo and innocent American lives by repeatedly engaging in life-threatening behavior, including multiple high-speed getaways from law enforcement.”
The case was part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the Department of Justice’s full resources to combat the invasion of illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect U.S. communities from violent criminals.