3 Arizona men indicted in human smuggling conspiracy
Oct 6, 2023, 8:00 PM
(Pexels File Photo)
(Pexels File Photo)
PHOENIX — Three Arizona men were indicted for conspiring to smuggle migrants for profit, authorities announced Thursday.
Saul Parra, Patrick Orozco and Rafael Gamez-Ramirez, all from Tucson, were indicted Aug. 23, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona said.
The indictment alleges Gamez-Ramirez worked with Orozco to buy a parcel of land in Bisbee in November 2021 to be used to facilitate the smuggling of migrants into the country.
Orozco then allegedly bought and put a recreational vehicle on the land, where migrants would wait to be taken away.
Law enforcement officers pursued and stopped multiple vehicles leaving the area from November 2021 to January 2022. One pursuit led to the death of a migrant after a driver lost control of the vehicle on Intestate 10 near Benson.
Parra was a participant in the conspiracy because he allegedly loaned his vehicles to drivers in exchange for money.
A conviction for conspiring to transport and harbor migrants for profit has a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Homeland Security Investigations-Douglas investigated the case.
