Man indicted as suspect in transporting ‘illegal aliens,’ harboring them in Phoenix
Suspect arrested in Mesa
A man described by federal authorities as an “illegal alien” living in Phoenix has been indicted on conspiracy and drug charges, federal authorities announced Monday.
Edgar Guadalupe …
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STASH HOUSE
Man indicted as suspect in transporting ‘illegal aliens,’ harboring them in Phoenix
Suspect arrested in Mesa
(Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office)
A man living in Phoenix faces charges of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and possession with intent to distribute heroin, according to a release from the Arizona district of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA
A man described by federal authorities as an “illegal alien” living in Phoenix has been indicted on conspiracy and drug charges, federal authorities announced Monday.
Edgar Guadalupe Jimenez-Aguilar faces charges of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and possession with intent to distribute heroin, according to a release from the Arizona district of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
After an investigation, agents from Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Border Patrol identified Jimenez-Aguilar “as a load driver who picked up aliens in desert areas in Pinal and Pima counties and transported them to Phoenix,” the release stated.
“Jimenez-Aguilar also operated a stash house in Phoenix used to harbor the aliens and assumed a coordinator role by recruiting others to act as load drivers.”
From late 2024 through January 2025, agents interviewed other load drivers who admitted Jimenez-Aguilar had recruited them, authorities said. The agents also conducted surveillance on Jimenez-Aguilar and his stash house.
On Oct. 3, officers with the Tohono O’odham Police Department stopped a vehicle and determined four passengers, including two in the trunk of the vehicle, were unlawfully present in the United States.
Officers learned that the driver had been recruited on social media, had participated in multiple prior smuggling ventures and had been to Jimenez-Aguilar’s stash house to unload those they were transporting, authorities said.
On Jan. 28, agents stopped a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Mesa and identified the driver as Jimenez-Aguilar via his Sonoran driver’s license. Inside the vehicle, agents located approximately 297 grams of black tar heroin, according to the release.
Possession with intent to distribute heroin carries a minimum penalty of five years and up to 40 years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $5 million. Conspiracy to transport illegal aliens carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.
