West Valley man, brother sentenced for coordinating human smuggling ring

PHOENIX – A West Valley man was sentenced last week to more than three years in prison for coordinating a lucrative human smuggling ring, authorities announced Tuesday.

Juan Manuel Soto-Guzman, 41, of El Mirage previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens for profit, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

Soto-Guzman and his brother, Adulfo, ran a smuggling ring that transported hundreds of people into the country illegally over a 13-month span, prosecutors said.

The operation generated a large amount of illicit revenue, prosecutors said.

How were Arizona brothers punished for human smuggling ring?

U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez sentenced Juan Manuel Soto-Guzman to 37 months in prison.

In January, Adulfo Soto-Guzman was sentenced to 27 months for his role in the human smuggling conspiracy.

As part of their plea deals, the brothers also agreed to forfeit a Rolex watch, a Movado watch, gold medallions and currency, prosecutors said.

Related

Colombian woman indicted for smuggling around 100 people into ArizonaHuman smuggling ring leader with operations in Phoenix gets 7½ prison sentenceLeader of Phoenix human smuggling organization sentenced to 4 years in prisonRetired Gilbert fire captain honored after dying from job-related cancerStorms make way into Valley with strong winds, scattered showers causing power outages4-year-old boy dies a month after being pulled from Phoenix apartment pool