INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA
Thirteen indictments were unsealed recently, charging 22 people with “conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit,” the Phoenix U.S. Attorney’s Office has announced.
Each indictment charges a human smuggling coordinator who used social media, including Snapchat, to recruit individuals within Arizona “to transport undocumented noncitizens for money,” according to a release.
After recruiting the drivers on social media, officials said, the coordinators often switched to a messenger application such as WhatsApp to coordinate the logistics.
Many of the indicted coordinators were identified through law enforcement contacts, data from cellular phones and their social media accounts, the release stated.
“Smuggling coordinators often recruit juveniles and young adults as drivers with social media posts that glamorize alien smuggling. Many of the posts claim drivers can make large sums of money without the risk of being arrested,” the release stated.
A conviction carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.