FILE - Generic gavel on wooden table.
PHOENIX - A man pleaded guilty in federal court on Oct. 19 to operating a human smuggling stash house out of a trailer park in Phoenix, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
On Sept. 21, 2021, Macario Barragan-Cisneros was taken into custody after 29 migrants were found in and around a trailer at Camino Vista Mobile Home near 67th Avenue and Van Buren.
All of the immigrants were from Mexico and Guatemala, officials said. An investigation revealed that the trailer was part of a smuggling operation where migrants were taken illegally across the U.S. - Mexico border near Nogales and taken to Phoenix.
Barragan-Cisneros, who is from Mexico, admitted to transporting and harboring migrants for profit. He faces 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both.
Homeland Security, Border Patrol and the U.S. Attorney's Office all played a role in the investigation and prosecution.
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