Virginia man charged with conspiracy in smuggling of Honduran unaccompanied alien child following ICE Las Cruces, federal partner investigation

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- A Virginia man has been charged with conspiracy to transport an illegal alien after he arranged and paid for the smuggling of a 17-year-old Honduran unaccompanied alien child into the United States. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in collaboration with federal and state partners.

Luis Alonso Argueta-Diaz, 35, was arrested May 19 in Virginia without incident.

According to court documents, on May 3, U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended a 17-year-old unaccompanied alien minor from Honduras near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, after she unlawfully entered the United States. The investigation revealed that Argueta-Diaz, had arranged and partially paid for the minor’s smuggling into the country. When questioned by ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Argueta-Diaz admitted to coordinating and financing the minor’s journey with the intent for her to live with him and assist in caring for his children.

Argueta-Diaz is charged with conspiracy to transport an illegal alien and will remain in local custody pending trial. No date for the trial has been set. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.

This criminality – carried out by individuals, businesses, and transnational criminal organizations – is not only a threat to the unaccompanied alien children themselves, but also to the broader communities in which they live and to the public safety and national security of the United States. Individuals across the world can report suspicious criminal activity to the ICE Tip Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 866-DHS-2-ICE. Highly trained specialists take reports from both the public and law enforcement agencies on more than 400 laws enforced by ICE.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)