Two owners of Abby’s Bakery in Los Fresnos, Texas, have been sentenced for harboring illegal aliens at their business. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced that Leonardo Baez-Lara, 56, and Alicia Avila-Guel, 46, were found guilty by a jury on two counts of harboring aliens and conspiracy to do so after a three-day trial held on August 13, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. sentenced both individuals to four months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release and ordered them each to pay a $21,300 fine. During the sentencing hearing, it was revealed that they had harbored six or more illegal aliens at their bakery. Judge Rodriguez stated that their actions represented serious criminal conduct and were not consistent with law-abiding behavior. The court also noted that Baez-Lara and Avila-Guel could lose their legal permanent resident status as a result.
“For years, these defendants knowingly employed and harbored illegal aliens, disregarding federal law for their own financial gain,” said Ganjei. “Today’s sentences serve as a warning to any business owner who believes they can distort fair competition by utilizing a workforce of illegal aliens. It’s not worth running afoul of the law just to make a quick buck.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge John A. Pasciucco of HSI San Antonio commented: “The couple’s deliberate disregard for the law and the safety of their workers cannot go unpunished. Those who exploit vulnerable individuals and undermine our immigration system will face firm and decisive consequences.”
Baez-Lara and Avila-Guel have owned Abby’s Bakery and Dulce’s Café since 2012 as legal permanent residents. Authorities discovered they employed individuals who were either illegally present in the United States or working without authorization on B1/B2 visas.
Testimony during the trial indicated that employees lived in an office space within the shopping plaza near the restaurant under unsafe conditions such as exposed wiring, only one entrance, no fire extinguisher, mattresses on the floor, and lack of hot water for extended periods. Workers were paid in cash without proper documentation; some reported going months without hot water or paperwork.
One worker testified he was hired immediately after entering the country illegally following a brief interview with Baez-Lara. Another described how Baez-Lara arranged his return after removal during the COVID-19 pandemic so he could continue working at the bakery.
The defense argued that Baez-Lara and Avila-Guel merely provided shelter rather than harboring illegal aliens; however, jurors rejected this claim.
The investigation was conducted by ICE-HSI (Homeland Security Investigations). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Baltazar Salazar and Luis Salazar prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration issues by targeting cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime perpetrators.
