Human smuggler sentenced to 7 years in prison

by Colin Lecher - Jul. 23, 2010 08:11 PM
The Arizona Republic

The leader of a human smuggling organization has been sentenced to seven years in prison, the Attorney General's Office announced Friday.

Rosalio Palacios, 28, was sentenced Thursday in Maricopa County Superior Court after he pleaded guilty to five felony charges.

Authorities say Palacios was the ringleader of an organization that smuggled thousands of people from Mexico into Phoenix during several years of operation.

The group received as much as $1,800 per person to smuggle them into the U.S.

The arrest and trial of Palacios led to the "dismantling" of the organization, officials with the Attorney General's Office said.

The organization was also an independent contractor for other human smuggling operations, and Palacios was involved with helping obtain fraudulent vehicle titles used to transport people across the border.

Palacios pleaded guilty to participating in a criminal syndicate, illegal control of an enterprise, human smuggling, illegal use of a wire or electronic communication, and fraudulent schemes and practices.

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