ICE, Guatemalan police nab 3 in human smuggling, trafficking takedown
Individuals also charged with narcotics trafficking
Guatemalan police cuff Ponce and escort Garcia
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala – Three individuals involved in a transnational criminal organization operating in El Naranjo, La Libertad and Peten, Guatemala, were arrested April 17 by
Guatemalan law enforcement officials and special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Attaché Office in Guatemala.
Edwin Obdulio Milian Garcia, Maria Cecilia Ponce and Magaly Guzman Godoy allegedly ran a human smuggling and trafficking ring that charged would-be Central American “customers” the equivalent of anywhere between $7,000 and $10,000 in U.S. currency.
The smuggled Central Americans moved from their respective countries to Cancun, Mexico, via ground or private air transportation and were ultimately illegally smuggled into the United States through either McAllen or Houston, Texas. The investigation also revealed that the minor females being smuggled were being sexually abused.
HSI Guatemala, the Guatemalan Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit (TCIU) and the Guatemala Ministerio Publico conducted the investigation into this case. If convicted, all three charged face up to 20 years in prison.
“Tragically, this is another case that demonstrates the callousness of these criminals,” said HSI Guatemala Attaché Angel Ortiz. “We continue discouraging these illegal and dangerous voyages. As seen here, smugglers don’t care about anyone but themselves. Don’t become a victim.”
Through its International Operations, HSI has 65 operational attaché offices in 46 countries around the world. HSI special agents work closely with foreign law enforcement agencies through a robust network of specialized, vetted units known as Transnational Criminal Investigative Units. Additionally, HSI brings personnel from host countries to the United States to train at the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia.
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