Authorities in the United States and Mexico have worked closely to bring down a suspected human smuggling operation that spanned multiple countries.
Their latest victory? The extradition of 49-year-old Raul Saucedo-Huipio, an alleged smuggling ringleader who had been operating out of Mexicali near the U.S.-Mexico border for years.
His return to the U.S. marks a major step in dismantling an international smuggling network.
Arrest and Extradition of Raul Saucedo-Huipio
Saucedo-Huipio was arrested in Mexico on March 2, 2023, after U.S. authorities issued an extradition request.
Nearly a year later, on February 21, 2024, Mexico officially handed him over to the United States, where he now faces charges in the District of Arizona.
That same day, he made his first court appearance in the Southern District of California.
His co-conspirator, 62-year-old Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, was also extradited to the U.S. in 2023.
She pleaded guilty in December 2024 to charges related to smuggling migrants into the country, further tightening the net around this criminal operation.
A Global Human Smuggling Operation
Court documents reveal that Saucedo-Huipio and Hernandez-Salas were part of a larger human smuggling network.
They allegedly helped migrants from various countries—including Bangladesh, Yemen, Pakistan, and Russia—illegally enter the U.S.
Their services didn’t come cheap, as some migrants reportedly paid tens of thousands of dollars for the journey.
The smuggling operation also involved directing migrants on where to cross the border unlawfully, sometimes using ladders to scale fences.
Even more troubling, Saucedo-Huipio and his associates allegedly armed themselves with guns and knives, robbing migrants of their money and belongings.
Sanctions and Law Enforcement Efforts
In June 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on this criminal network, aiming to cut off their financial resources.
The crackdown was part of a broader effort involving multiple agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Authorities from both the U.S. and Mexico, including INTERPOL and the Mexican Attorney General’s Office, played crucial roles in tracking down and extraditing Saucedo-Huipio.
Joint Task Force Alpha and the Fight Against Human Smuggling
The extradition of Saucedo-Huipio was coordinated through Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), a U.S. initiative designed to combat human smuggling and trafficking operations across Central America and Mexico.
Since its launch, JTFA has expanded into Colombia and Panama, focusing on smuggling networks that pose security risks or exploit migrants.
To date, JTFA’s efforts have led to more than 355 arrests worldwide, over 300 convictions in the U.S., and significant jail sentences and asset seizures from key figures in smuggling operations.
The task force continues to work with multiple law enforcement agencies to dismantle these criminal organizations.
A Broader Strategy Against Human Smuggling
The investigation also received support from the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT), a specialized program under the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
ECT focuses on smuggling networks that pose major security risks or involve severe human rights violations.
With dedicated intelligence, investigative teams, and collaboration with foreign law enforcement, the program aims to shut down high-risk smuggling routes and hold perpetrators accountable.
With Saucedo-Huipio now in U.S. custody and his network under heavy scrutiny, law enforcement agencies remain committed to disrupting illegal smuggling operations that endanger lives and threaten national security.
The fight against human trafficking is far from over, but these efforts mark another significant milestone in bringing criminals to justice.