A Mexican national, Manuel Valenzuela, was sentenced on July 1, 2026, to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to participating in a human smuggling operation. Prosecutors stated that the operation involved using THC-laced candy to sedate children as young as five before transporting them across the U.S.-Mexico border. One child reportedly suffered THC poisoning and required hospitalization.
Valenzuela, 35, faced charges including conspiracy to transport aliens and bringing aliens into the United States for financial gain. He was one of four individuals charged in connection with the smuggling scheme, which involved transporting unaccompanied children aged 5 to 13 from Juárez, Mexico, into the U.S.
Court documents indicated that the smugglers presented false U.S. identification documents to border officers, claiming the children were their own. After crossing the border, the children were transported to El Paso.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division criticized the operation, emphasizing the severity of sedating children with THC. Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan McRae of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated that using children in smuggling operations demonstrates a disregard for human life and safety. The smuggling events occurred between May 1 and October 18, 2024, and proof-of-life photographs of some children were found on the suspects' cellphones.