Gary M. Restaino, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona
The extradition of Raul Saucedo-Huipio, a suspected alien smuggler, from Mexico to the United States was announced following collaborative efforts between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies. Saucedo-Huipio, aged 49, was apprehended in Mexico on March 2, 2023, at the request of the U.S., and handed over to U.S. authorities on February 21. He faces charges previously filed in Arizona and made his initial court appearance in California.
His co-conspirator, Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, aged 62, had been extradited earlier in 2023 and pleaded guilty in December 2024 to conspiracy charges related to alien smuggling.
Court documents reveal that Saucedo-Huipio worked with other smugglers to transport migrants from various countries into the United States. The group allegedly charged substantial fees for these services and directed migrants on illegal border crossings. Additionally, they are accused of robbing migrants while armed.
In June 2023, sanctions were imposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on this criminal organization.
The announcement was made by Antoinette T. Bacon from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachel C. Hernandez for Arizona, and ICE HSI Arizona Special Agent Francisco B. Burrola.
The investigation is led by ICE HSI Yuma with support from multiple agencies including U.S. Border Patrol and INTERPOL among others.
Prosecutors Alexandra Skinnion and Stuart J. Zander are handling the case with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), which played a key role in securing Saucedo-Huipio's arrest and extradition.
This operation was part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), aimed at dismantling human smuggling networks impacting Central America and beyond. JTFA has resulted in numerous arrests and convictions since its inception.
Additionally, support came from the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program focusing on human smuggling networks posing national security or public safety risks.
