The U.S. extradited a “prolific” human smuggler from Mexico who allegedly charged migrants thousands of dollars to direct them through the southern border, according to a Thursday announcement from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Ofelia Hernandez-Salas was arrested in March by Mexican authorities and extradited to the U.S. on Tuesday to face previously unsealed charges, according to the press release. During her years-long alleged smuggling operation, Hernandez-Salas and co-conspirators provided migrants with ladders to climb over border fences and robbed them of their money and belongings at knife and gunpoint. (RELATED: Federal Judge Orders Greg Abbott To Remove Border Buoys)
“This extradition is the result of continued coordination between the Justice Department and our Mexican law enforcement partners to bring to justice human smugglers who exploit migrants’ desperation and undermine the rule of law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri. “It is another example of the impactful work Joint Task Force Alpha is doing to disrupt dangerous criminal operations and dismantle transnational criminal organizations by pursuing their leadership — wherever they operate.”
“La Lupe”, como se conoce a Ofelia Hernández Salas, fue detenida en una operación conjunta entre autoridades mexicanas y estadounidenses en México junto a su presunto cómplice, Raúl Saucedo Huipio. https://t.co/eziwoz2xLd
— Univision Arizona (@UnivisionAZ) March 25, 2023
Hernandez-Salas allegedly ran an “international” smuggling network for years along with a number of co-conspirators, including Saucedo-Huipio, who was also arrested in March and is currently held in Mexico, according to the DOJ. Hernandez-Salas and her co-conspirators allegedly smuggled migrants from and through over a dozen countries, including Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Russia and Egypt.
The U.S. Department of Treasury imposed sanctions on Hernandez-Salas’s “transnational criminal organization” in June, according to a separate press release. Hernandez-Salas is now in U.S. custody, and made her first appearance in federal court late Wednesday.
“This extradition is another testament to our global commitment to investigating, combating and dismantling human smuggling networks,” said Katrina Berger, Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations. “HSI is dedicated to its law enforcement partnerships and mission, notably those accomplished through JTFA efforts, that seek to eradicate these crimes and bring those who propagate them to justice.”
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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