'Doña Lupe' Pleads Guilty to Being The Leader of a Ring Dedicated To Human Smuggling Into The U.S.

63-year-old Mexican national Ofelia Hernández Salas, also known as "Doña Lupe", has pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court to leading a transnational human smuggling operation that facilitated the illegal entry of over 100 migrants into the United States.

Doña Lupe led an organization based in Mexicali that charged migrants between $10,000 and $70,000 for assistance with crossing the border from countries across the globe, including Bangladesh, Yemen, Pakistan, Eritrea, India, and several Latin American nations.

The organization not only directed migrants to crossing points, but sometimes also provided tools such as ladders. It also engaged in robbery of those who claimed to assist, stealing money and personal belongings under threat of violence. She is also believed to have close ties with the Sinaloa Cartel, as Infobae reports.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland praised U.S. authorities for their efforts through a statement shared by the Department of Justice:

"Hernandez-Salas has pled guilty to leading a criminal organization that smuggled migrants from more a dozen countries into the United States. Her plea is the latest example of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA)'s long reach and unwavering commitment to bringing to justice the leaders of the human smuggling operations that victimize migrants for profit and endanger our national security."

"Human smugglers are ruthless — they lie to, steal from, and gravely endanger their victims, wreaking death and devastation across our region," added Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will continue to work with our federal and international partners to help dismantle human smuggling operations and bring perpetrators to justice."

Hernández Salas was extradited to the United States in September 2023 following her arrest in Mexico earlier that year. Her co-defendant, Raúl Saucedo Huipio, remains in custody in Mexico. Hernández Salas faces up to 15 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 2025.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on the smuggling organization in June 2023, underscoring its role as a sophisticated and dangerous network.

The investigation was carried out by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from multiple U.S. agencies, Mexican authorities, and international partners.