Federal authorities have dismantled an illegal immigrant smuggling ring tied to a Phoenix-area house, arresting five foreign nationals, the Department of Justice said on May 8.
Those arrested were Mexican nationals Rigoberto Rangel-Mora, Jesus Marin-Esquivel, Alejandro Ambrocio-Espinosa, Enrique Cervantes-Barrera, and Guatemalan national Ingrid Bolanos-Gomez.
The group was indicted on conspiracy charges related to transporting and harboring illegal border crossers. If convicted, each faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The investigation was led by Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol Intelligence Unit and Homeland Security Investigations in Douglas.
According to court documents, investigators identified a Phoenix residence allegedly used as a stash house where illegal immigrants were held before being transported across the country.
Surveillance teams tracked several older-model minivans making interstate trips, often using charity license plates.
On April 28, agents stopped one of the vans near Cordes Lakes and identified Ambrocio-Espinosa as the driver and Cervantes-Barrera as the passenger.
Authorities found 11 illegal immigrants inside, including one person riding in the trunk.
Federal search warrants executed on April 30 at a home and two apartments in Phoenix uncovered 22 illegal immigrants allegedly being harbored by the organization.
Investigators identified Rangel-Mora as the stash house caretaker, while the others allegedly served as drivers on cross-country smuggling trips.
Illegal immigrants told investigators they were confined to bedrooms, instructed not to leave or make phone calls, and forced to endure filthy conditions, little food, and sleeping on floors.
The case is part of the DOJ’s Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative targeting illegal immigration, drug cartels, and transnational criminal organizations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Greve and Ryan McCarthy are prosecuting the case.
Between April 17 and April 24, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Arizona filed immigration-related criminal charges against 288 individuals during a weeklong enforcement operation.
The cases included 147 illegal re-entry prosecutions and 113 charges for unlawful entry into the United States.
Federal prosecutors also filed 24 human smuggling cases involving 28 defendants accused of transporting or harboring illegal immigrants in Arizona.
Illegal immigration has remained a central focus of President Donald Trump’s second term, including a national emergency declaration at the southern border.
The administration reinstated the “Remain in Mexico” policy and ended so-called catch-and-release practices, moves officials say contributed to a 95 percent decline in border encounters.
Construction also resumed on the border wall spanning the 1,954-mile southern border, with 85 miles of new barriers planned or under construction along the existing 654 miles.
The Department of Homeland Security says more than 158,000 illegal immigrants were arrested in 2025, including at least 600 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
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