El Paso Man Convicted in Alien Smuggling Conspiracy as Part of the Homeland Security Task Force Initiative

ALBUQUERQUE - After a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted an El Paso man of coordinating an alien smuggling operation that brought individuals, including an unaccompanied minor, from Mexico into the United States through southern New Mexico and Texas.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in March 2024, Juan Gomez Montiel, 32, coordinated the smuggling of a material witness from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, into the United States for $2,200. Gomez Montiel arranged for the witness to work with a Juárez based smuggler known as "Polo," who transported the witness to a stash house in Juárez and later guided the witness to a hole cut into the border fence near Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, New Mexico. After the witness illegally crossed into the United States with a foot guide on April 5, 2024, the witness was transported to a tire shop in El Paso, Texas, where Gomez Montiel met them, asked whether the trip had gone smoothly, and paid the foot guide for his role in the smuggling operation.

Evidence at trial also showed Gomez Montiel contacted the witness in the following months seeking payment of the remaining $500 smuggling fee. Additional testimony established that in August 2024, Gomez Montiel coordinated the transportation of an unaccompanied minor from a stash house in El Paso to Albuquerque, New Mexico, using a driver who was, unbeknownst to Gomez Montiel, an undercover Texas Department of Public Safety agent.

Gomez Montiel was convicted of conspiracy to bring in and transport illegal aliens, bringing in an illegal alien for financial gain and transporting an illegal alien. Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Gomez Montiel be detained pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Gomez Montiel faces no less than three years and up to 10 years in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan McRae of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso made the announcement today.

Homeland Security Investigations El Paso investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, El Paso County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy Castellano and Devon Aragon-Martinez are prosecuting this case.

The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department's lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA's mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA's work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.