Honduran woman extradited, charged with leading smuggling network

A Honduran woman who federal investigators say led an intricate people-smuggling ring through Arizona has been extradited to face criminal charges, officials said Friday.

In the first time Honduran officials have helped to extradite a citizen in a U.S. smuggling case, Maria Mendoza Mendoza, known as “Guera,” faces smuggling charges for an operation that dates back to at least 2018, said Gary M. Restaino, U.S. Attorney for the district of Arizona, at a news conference Friday in Tucson.

Mendoza was arrested in February and arrived on U.S. soil late last night.

She is one of 27 defendants in an 18-count indictment and is facing charges of conspiracy to transport and harbor people for profit, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and illegal transportation of people for profit.

Restaino, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona, held a press conference Friday afternoon detailing the 18-count indictment with 27 defendants, more than 20 of whom have already pleaded guilty.

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The investigation was developed in tandem by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, and the United States Marshal’s Service.

In June 2021 Joint Task Force Alpha was created by Attorney General Merrick Garland in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security. JTFA is a collaboration of U.S. attorneys and law enforcement from border districts like southern Arizona. JTFA’s work has already resulted in 191 domestic and international arrests to-date with 86 convictions.

“Its mission is to strengthen the department’s overall efforts to target leaders, organizers and facilitators of human smuggling networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico,” Restaino said. “We’re targeting leaders of organizations to disrupt their command-and-control networks.”

“The methods and tactics of smuggling organizations are increasingly becoming a public safety concern, not only for communities along the border, but for everyone, everywhere,” said John Modin, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Tucson sector. “Today’s announcement of the arrest and extradition of a convicted human smuggler is a testament of our commitment and longstanding partnerships to combat human smuggling.”

Investigations uncovered a Facebook post containing a picture of Mendoza next to a car with a California license plate that was associated with human smuggling. Investigators were also able to retrieve a ledger of payments to Mendoza and others, tying the money to the operation.

Mendoza is in federal detention and was scheduled to appear in court Friday afternoon.