EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Four people were charged for their alleged roles in a scheme to smuggle children from Mexico into the U.S., and in one instance, using candy laced with drugs to sedate them, according to the news release by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Mexican nationals Susana Guadian and Daniel Guadian, both 50; U.S. citizen Dianne Guadian, 32; and permanent resident Manuel Valenzuela, 35, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to transport aliens and bring them to the U.S. for financial gain.
Dianne Guadian and Manuel Valenzuela were arrested On Aug. 30 in El Paso, and they had their initial appearance in court on Tuesday, Sept. 2, according to the DOJ.
“This Department of Justice is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.”
According to the complaint, between May 1 through Oct. 17, 2024, the four suspects were a part of a smuggling organization that brought unaccompanied children between the ages of 5 and 13 illegally to the U.S. from Juarez…