Guadalupe Quezada, Human Smuggling Death, El Paso TX, 2023

Arizona Woman Sentenced for Human Smuggling Death in El Paso

EL PASO, Texas – Guadalupe Quezada, 35, of Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced to 135 months in prison for her role in an ongoing conspiracy that resulted in the death of two migrants.

According to court documents, Quezada, along with codefendants Veronica Quezada, 39, of Mesa, and Elizabeth Miranda Lozano, 39, of Dallas, actively participated in an ongoing conspiracy to bring in, transport, and harbor undocumented immigrants into the U.S. from Mexico from on or about November 2019 through on or about August 2021.

The organization smuggled groups of migrants into the U.S. by traversing the border across the Chihuahuan Desert near Van Horn. Foot guides would direct the migrants to walk through the desert and rendezvous with drivers who then transport the immigrants to stash houses or staging areas for further harboring by stash house operators.

During the time of the conspiracy, the organization twice abandoned migrants who were unable to keep pace with the group. An investigation revealed that the abandonment of the migrants under the harsh conditions resulted in their deaths.

Quezada would receive human smuggling proceeds in bulk as well as through financial institutions and redirect them to promote the human smuggling and to invest in real property. In addition to imprisonment, she also forfeits three Phoenix properties.

Quezada and her two codefendants each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States resulting in death.