Valerie Perez, Hostage-Taking, New Mexico 2024

An El Paso woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in a hostage-taking conspiracy involving the forcible detention and extortion of undocumented aliens. Valerie Perez, 22, was involved in the hostage-taking conspiracy while serving a term of federal supervised release for a prior alien smuggling conviction.

According to court documents, on April 4, 2024, agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Border Patrol responded to a tip from the Otero County Sheriff’s Department regarding individuals being held against their will at an alien smuggling stash house in Chaparral, New Mexico. The joint investigation led law enforcement to the residence where ten undocumented aliens, including three juveniles, were discovered being detained under inhumane conditions, without sufficient food and water.

During the subsequent investigation, agents determined that Valerie Perez and her coconspirator, Diana Perez, were responsible for detaining the victims. The victims were threatened with physical harm and told they were not allowed to leave. Family members of the victims were contacted and coerced into sending money for the victims’ release.

Valerie Perez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit hostage taking, admitting that she participated in detaining undocumented individuals, threatening them with harm, and extorting money from their families and friends in exchange for their release. At the time of this offense, Perez was on supervised release following a prior conviction for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, for which she had been sentenced to one year and one day in prison followed by two years of supervised release.

Upon her release from prison, Perez will be subject to three years of supervised release. Diana Perez remains in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Border Patrol with assistance from the Otero County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson Hehr is prosecuting this case.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and law enforcement officials praised the efforts of the agents who worked on the case, saying that their dedication and expertise helped bring the perpetrators to justice.

Related Federal Cases