Raul Saucedo-Huipio, a 51-year-old man from Mexicali, Mexico, has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for his involvement in a human smuggling operation that facilitated the illegal entry of over 200 migrants into the United States from various countries between 2018 and 2022. The Justice Department announced the sentencing on June 16, 2026.
Saucedo-Huipio was extradited to the U.S. for trial after being arrested by Mexican authorities in March 2023. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring an alien to the U.S. and bringing an alien to the U.S. The smuggling organization charged tens of thousands of dollars per person and used various methods to transport migrants, including providing ladders to scale the border wall and using holes cut into older sections of the wall.
The Justice Department described human smuggling as a crime that exploits vulnerable individuals and poses a threat to national security. In addition to facilitating illegal crossings, Saucedo-Huipio and his co-conspirators were accused of robbing migrants of their belongings, including money and cellphones, often using threats of violence.