Nine people have been arrested and charged with smuggling dozens of unauthorized migrants into the U.S. from Mexico to coastal areas such as Sunset Cliffs and Bird Rock in La Jolla.
The nine who were arrested were the only ones identified out of a total of 19 people indicted by a grand jury in smuggling operations with charges filed in the U.S. District Court in San Diego.
“Human smuggling cases are a top priority because lives are at stake,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath.
“Whether racing a jet ski up the coast without lifejackets or hauling a tractor-trailer packed with people, smugglers expose vulnerable migrants to extreme danger and prioritize profits over human life,” said McGrath.
The investigating agencies, Homeland Security, U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Coast Guard seized $100,000 in cash and two boxes of ammunition.
“The Justice Department is committed to dismantling transnational human smuggling operations that prey on migrants and threaten our national security,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.
“Nefarious organizations like the one charged in this case can expect to answer for their alleged crimes in American courtrooms,” added Monaco.
The group would use personal watercraft like jet skis and put migrants on them at night, whether or not they knew how to swim. This approach is favored because it allows for rapid drop-offs and quick evasion.
Some of the migrants reportedly paid between $7,000 and $16,000 to be smuggled into the U.S. If the migrants are caught, they are sometimes held as material witnesses and can post bond if they have the money. Most of the people are deported.
“Every aspect of human smuggling – whether it be by land, sea, or aircraft – puts lives at risk,” said Christopher Davis, Acting special agent in charge for Homeland Security San Diego.
Three defendants are from Tijuana and they include Edgar Jimenez Macias, 33; Alex “Gordo” Guzman, 30; and Tobias Burgara Gonzalez, 32. Junior Zavala Ramirez, 34, is from Tecate.
Five defendants are from Nayarit, Mexico, and they include Ivan Pulido Jauregui, 49; Manuel “Tortillero” Lopez, 26; Jesus Molina Flores, 20; Alexis Villela Inda, 29; and Matco Alduenda Gutierrez, 26.
They are all expected to plead not guilty this week and have a judge set bail. They remain in the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
