18 members of Arizona human smuggling ring indicted, prosecutors say

YUMA, AZ (AZFamily) — The bust of a human smuggling ring based in Yuma has resulted in 18 indictments, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said on Friday.

The suspects are allegedly part of the organization named La Mesa, which worked on behalf of the Mexican crime organization Los Rusos.

Investigators say the group is responsible for smuggling, or trying to smuggle, hundreds of people across the U.S.-Mexico border and further into the U.S.

Twenty-four-year-old Carlos Moreno-Serrano from Yuma was the leader of Le Mesa, prosecutors said.

Other alleged members coordinated the smuggling runs, scouted for drivers, ran stash houses, distributed the money for the drivers, rented cars and ran enforcement for La Mesa.

Detectives said as drivers got arrested, members started to take smaller groups of illegal immigrants to Southern and central California to avoid law enforcement.

Leaders in La Mesa would kidnap, threaten and beat up members and drivers who had been arrested.

The 18 suspects were federally charged with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, harboring illegal aliens for profit and conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. They are:

1. Victor Eduardo Araiza-Ponce, 24, of Yuma;
2. Antonio Aparicio III, 24, of Somerton;
3. Alonzo Esparza, 27, of Yuma;
4. Carlos Moreno-Serrano, 24, of Yuma;
5. Xasiel Noriega-Gonzalez, 21, of Somerton;
6. Joshua Guillermo Leon-Fuentes, 21, of Somerton;
7. Angel Rodriguez, 23, of Yuma;
8. Crystobal Figueroa, 23, of Somerton;
9. Saul Ponce Jr., 23, of San Luis;
10. David Leon-Pallanes, 23, of Yuma;
11. Manuel Uriel Alvarado, 26, of Yuma;
12. Elian Lopez, 24, of Yuma;
13. Raymundo Delgado-Diaz, 35, of Yuma;
14. Isreal Zeveda, 23, of Salinas, California;
15. Francisco Javier Esparza-Macias, 21, of Somerton;
16. Alex Chiquete, 25, of Yuma;
17. Hector Eduardo-Valdez, 31, of Yuma; and
18. Jose Gabriel Marquez-Mendiola, 32, of Yuma.

The maximum penalty for each charge is up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

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