El Paso man accused of leading human smuggling operation; wife, Las Crucens also charged




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Times staff report
Mon, June 5, 2023 at 5:03 PM EDT



An El Paso man, his wife and seven others were arrested after being indicted in a human smuggling case.

According to the indictment and other court records, Jose Luis Avalos, aka “El Gordo,” 40, of El Paso, allegedly led the human smuggling operation.

Avalos and his wife, Kristina Hardin, 41, of El Paso, were arrested in El Paso on Thursday. Detention hearings are set for Wednesday to determine whether they will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Avalos and Hardin each face 20 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico Alexander M.M. Uballez and Francisco B. Burrola, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, announced the arrests and indictments Monday.

A federal grand jury indicted the nine defendants May 18.






Migrants recently wait to be processed at Gate 40 of the border wall after having crossed the Rio Grande from Juárez in their bid for asylum.

Avalos’ brother, David Avalos-Solis, 48, of Chaparral, New Mexico, was arrested May 24 and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Avalos-Solis faces 10 years in prison.

Nancy Orellana-Recinos, 37, of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and a citizen of Guatemala, was arrested in Rio Rancho on Thursday and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Orellana-Recinos faces 20 years in prison and will be subject to deportation.

Dario Rey Gamboa, 19, and his twin brother Diego Rean Gamboa, aka “Sunny,” 19, both of Las Cruces, were arrested May 23 and June 1, respectively. Dario Rey Gamboa was released on conditions; Diego Rean Gamboa is awaiting a detention hearing to determine whether he will remain in custody as he awaits trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, they each face 10 years in prison.

Cindy Marie Escobar, 42, of Lordsburg, New Mexico, was arrested May 23 and is awaiting a detention hearing to determine whether she will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Escobar faces 10 years in prison.

Justin Walker, 31, of Las Cruces, was arrested May 27 and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Walker faces 10 years in prison.

A warrant for the arrest of Adam Guerrero, 38 of Las Cruces, has been issued.
Avalos, Avalos-Solis, Escobar, Guerrero, Walker and the Gamboa twins are charged with conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens.

Avalos and Hardin are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments by concealment.

Orellana-Recinos is charged with laundering of monetary instruments.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established Joint Task Force Alpha to unite the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

The task force consists of federal prosecutors from border U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration also are part of the task force, along with other interagency partners.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Border Patrol investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy M. Castellano is prosecuting.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso man accused of leading human smuggling operation; wife charged


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