An Arizona woman stands accused of smuggling hundreds of illegal immigrants into the US after they coughed up as much as $15,000 a pop to get across the border, authorities said Sunday. (Read More Here).
Tania Estudillo Hernandez, 24, allegedly smuggled between 80 and 100 migrants a month into the country for six months before she was arrested Friday.
Hernandez was busted during a traffic stop while transporting a Guatemalan national, according to El Mirage, Ariz., police.
Authorities were tipped off to the scheme when they received a report of a person being held for ransom at a house in the city.
The caller said there were “multiple people kidnapped including [the caller’s] husband,” police said.
Authorities arrived to the home to find Hernandez fleeing in a vehicle and pulled her over. Police officers arrested the 24-year-old woman on suspicion of money laundering and conducting an illegal enterprising.
She was later booked into the Maricopa County Jail for kidnapping, money laundering, illegally conducting or participating in an an illegal enterprise, and conspiracy.
Inside the home, officers executing a search warrant and located a semi-automatic rifle, handguns, human smuggling ledgers, and ‘other evidence of human smuggling.’
One of the handguns found by officers had been reported stolen from Phoenix.
EMPD officials said in the post that the evidence gathered showed that Estudillo Hernandez had managed and directed the operation.
El Mirage is a small city located northwest of Phoenix. The city has a population of less than 40,000, according to U.S. Census data.
According to the Migrant Policy Institute, as of 2022, Arizona has an estimated unauthorized population of 273,000 people.
While surveilling the home, officers observed the vehicle holding Estudillo Hernandez and a Guatemalan national leave the the residence.
Estudillo Hernandez was stopped while actively transporting a Guatemalan national, officials said.
An initial investigation revealed that the woman was allegedly responsible for processing anywhere from 80 to 100 migrants at the home each month.
Officials believe that this scheme went on for at least six months.
As a fee for smuggling the individuals into the country, the woman would charge as much as $15,000 per migrant.
EMPD learned that while conducting the traffic stop, two smugglers left the home with 10 undocumented Immigrants.
Discover more from KossyDerrickent
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
