Five individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 7 for their alleged involvement in an alien smuggling operation in Phoenix, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to combat illegal immigration and related criminal activities. The investigation was led by agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol Intelligence Unit and Homeland Security Investigations.
Rigoberto Rangel-Mora, Jesus Marin-Esquivel, Ingrid Bolanos-Gomez, Alejandro Ambrocio-Espinosa, and Enrique Cervantes-Barrera face charges of conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens. Court documents indicate that investigators identified a residence used as a stash house where undocumented individuals were held before being transported across the United States. Surveillance revealed several older model minivans making cross-country trips with charity license plates attached.
On April 28, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop near Cordes Lakes, Arizona, discovering Ambrocio-Espinosa driving a minivan with Cervantes-Barrera as passenger while transporting eleven undocumented individuals—including one person found riding in the trunk. Two days later, search warrants executed at multiple locations uncovered seventeen more undocumented individuals at one residence and five at another apartment believed connected to the organization.
Those held at the stash house reported being confined to bedrooms without permission to leave or make phone calls. They described unsanitary conditions, insufficient food supplies, and having to sleep on floors. Conviction on conspiracy charges could result in up to ten years in prison, fines up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Greve and Ryan McCarthy of the District of Arizona’s Phoenix office. The case forms part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative aiming to address illegal immigration and dismantle transnational criminal organizations within communities.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona advances community wellness through outreach programs and victim advocacy; it also handles federal prosecutions throughout Arizona—including along its 375-mile border with Mexico—and coordinates law enforcement efforts with tribal, state, local agencies while employing about 180 assistant attorneys among its staff according to the official website.
