Illegal migrants held for ransom at U.S. border.

A group of five men in Southern California is facing serious charges for their alleged involvement in a kidnapping scheme targeting illegal immigrants. The suspects, four of whom have been arrested, are accused of holding the victims for ransom, demanding cash payments from their families for their release. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California reported that Miguel Angel Avila, 22, from Hemet; Omar Avila Salmeron, 41, from South Los Angeles; Jose Jaime Garcia, 20, from San Jacinto; and Jose Alfredo Moreno Gonzalez, 21, from Oak Hills, have all been apprehended. A 22-year-old fugitive, Gabriel Michel Becerra, from Palmdale, is still at large.

Legal Proceedings and Charges

On July 30, all five suspects were indicted on multiple counts, including two counts of conspiracy to commit hostage taking, hostage taking, two counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, and two counts of transporting illegal aliens for private financial gain. Furthermore, Avila, Salmeron, Garcia, and Becerra face additional charges of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion and attempted interference with commerce by extortion, violating the Hobbs Act.

The indictment alleges that avila, after directing Moreno to drive to a Chevron gas station in Chandler, Arizona, kidnapped four illegal immigrants and transported them to a restaurant in Burbank, California. Once in Burbank, Avila, Garcia, and Becerra reportedly held the hostages in a residence, with Avila allegedly utilizing one victim's cellphone to demand ransom from the victim's family. Moreover, Avila allegedly employed another victim's phone to demand ransom payments, with funds to be split between accounts in Mexico and the U.S. for the victim's release. On March 22, Avila and Salmeron made further demands from another hostage's family.

The indictment also outlines an incident where one of the victims managed to escape from a motel room but was pursued by Avila and an accomplice to a store in Koreatown. Allegedly, Avila employed physical force to recapture the victim. Avila and his co-conspirators reportedly restrained two victims, threatening them with violence if they attempted to escape. One victim's release resulted in a payment of $11,000 by the victim's brother at a gas station, highlighting the extortionate nature of their actions.

U.S. Attorney's Office Stance

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada of the Central District of California emphasized the severity of the defendants' actions, stating, "These defendants allegedly preyed upon victims who sought to emigrate to our country by demanding ransom from the victims' families in exchange for their release." U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath of the Southern District of California condemned human smuggling as a dangerous crime and affirmed the commitment to seeking justice for the mistreatment of vulnerable migrants for profit.