A Colombian woman named Janine Torres-Centeno is being charged with conspiracy to induce and encourage illegal aliens to enter the United States and profiting from the influx of illegal immigration. According to a U.S. Attorney’s Office announcement, the formal accusations, which were detailed earlier this month and issued by a federal grand jury on November 6, 2024, began with investigations carried out by Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Border Patrol Sector Intelligence in 2022.
The investigation began when a number of Colombians who had been arrested close to the border named Torres-Centeno as the mastermind of their smuggling. The smuggled people decided to get in touch with Torres-Centeno after hearing testimonies from others who had successfully entered the United States with her help. She allegedly advised them to travel to Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico, and to pay an additional cost for the unauthorized passage, which ranged from $1,200 to $2,000 per person. According to the accusation, Torres-Centeno facilitated their transfer to nearby stash houses in Sonoyta prior to their attempts to enter the United States illegally.
Torres-Centeno could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison and fined up to $250,000 for the conspiracy accusation if found guilty of these allegations. A statutory minimum sentence of three years and a fine of up to $250,000 are associated with the crime of introducing an illegal alien into the United States for financial gain. However, it is crucial to realize that an indictment by itself does not prove guilt. It is just a process for filing criminal charges against someone, guaranteeing the presumption of innocence until guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
The United States Border Patrol, Alien Smuggling Unit Tucson Sector, and Homeland Security Investigations Casa Grande of Customs and Border Protection led the investigation that resulted in this indictment. The prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart Zander and Matthew Doyle of the District of Arizona, Phoenix. The U.S. Attorney’s Office release contains information about the case, which has been logged under the number CR-24-007816-TUC-SHR.
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