NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Nine people, including several in New Mexico, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for involvement in a migrant smuggling operation. They’re facing years in prison if convicted.
According to the indictment, 40-year-old El Paso resident Jose Luis Avalos (aka “El Gordo”) led a smuggling operation where undocumented migrants would pay thousands of dollars to get across the border. The indictment claimed they smuggled dozens into the U.S.
Avalos’s wife from El Paso, and his brother, from Chaparral, New Mexico, have also been arrested.
Several others are accused of also being involved, including Nancy Orellana-Recinos, 37, a citizen of Guatemala; Cindy Marie Escobar, 42, of Lordsburg; Dario Rey Gamboa and his twin brother, Diego Rean Gamboa, from Las Cruces; and Justin Walker, from Las Cruces.
The accused have not yet been found guilty in court. If convicted, some could face up to 10 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
