A federal grand jury in New Mexico has indicted three men—Wilfrido Saenz, 29; Ignacio Jaramillo, 22; and Ismael Jaramillo, 35—on charges related to a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and, for two of them, a conspiracy to murder a witness. The charges stem from a joint investigation by Joint Task Force Alpha and the Homeland Security Task Force.
Court documents reveal that between June 2021 and April 2024, all three men allegedly conspired to transport illegal aliens. Saenz and Ignacio Jaramillo are further charged with conspiring to kill a witness in April 2024, reportedly in retaliation for the individual providing law enforcement with information about the alien smuggling scheme. Both Saenz and Ignacio Jaramillo also face two counts each of being a felon in possession of a firearm, with prior convictions including alien smuggling and aggravated assault on a peace officer, respectively.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division emphasized the dangers, saying, “The criminal networks engaging in this do not care about the people they are smuggling. They only care about money and themselves. They endanger lives and will commit heinous crimes if they believe their network has been exposed and their livelihood is on the line.” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico added that the allegations reflect "the ruthless nature of these criminal organizations."
If convicted of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, all three men face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Saenz and Ignacio Jaramillo could face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted of conspiracy to retaliate against a witness, and up to 15 years for the firearm charges. This prosecution is part of the broader Homeland Security Task Force initiative, established to eliminate criminal cartels and human smuggling rings, and Joint Task Force Alpha's efforts to combat high-impact human smuggling and trafficking.