Five men in Southern California, four of whom have been arrested, allegedly kidnapped illegal immigrants and held them for ransom, demanding cash payments from their families in order for the victims to be released.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California said in a press release that Miguel Angel Avila, 22, of Hemet; Omar Avila Salmeron, 41, of South Los Angeles; Jose Jaime Garcia, 20, of San Jacinto; and Jose Alfredo Moreno Gonzalez, 21, of Oak Hills have all been arrested, while 22-year-old Gabriel Michel Becerra of Palmdale is considered a fugitive.
All five were indicted July 30 on various counts, including "two counts of conspiracy to commit hostage taking and hostage taking, two counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, and two counts of transporting illegal aliens for private financial gain," according to the release.
Avila, Salmeron, Garcia and Becerra have also been charged with two counts of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion, as well as attempted interference with commerce by extortion, which are violations of the Hobbs Act.
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"These defendants allegedly preyed upon victims who sought to [emigrate] to our country by demanding ransom from the victims’ families in exchange for their release," U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada of the Central District of California said. "Our office is committed to ensuring that those who use violence to terrorize others face severe consequences for their actions."
The indictment revealed in July alleges that on March 21, 2023, Avila told Moreno to drive to a Chevron gas station in Chandler, Arizona. When he arrived, he allegedly kidnapped four illegal immigrants and drove them to a restaurant in Burbank, California.
Once in Burbank, Avila, Garcia and Becerra allegedly held the hostages in a home. Avila is accused of using a cellphone from one of the victims and demanding ransom money from the victim’s family in exchange for the victim’s release.
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The indictment also alleges Avila used another victim's phone to demand ransom payments split between an account in Mexico and another account in the U.S., again, for the victim’s release.
On March 22, Avila and Salmeron made additional demands, this time from the family of another hostage’s family.
Avila, Garcia and Becerra then moved the three hostages to a motel room and one of the victims was able to escape through a second-story bathroom window, the indictment claims.
Avila and one of his co-conspirators chased the victim to a store in nearby Koreatown, and once inside, Avila body-slammed the victim, placed him in a chokehold and punched him in the face several times to try and kidnap the victim again, according to the indictment.
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After the incident, Avila, Garcia and Becerra allegedly restrained one of the victims and another hostage by tying their hands and taking them to another house, where they were confined to a room. The three men threatened the hostages with violence if they attempted to escape.
Avila, Garcia and Becerra reportedly drove one victim to a gas station on March 23, where they were paid $11,000 by the victim’s brother for his release.
"Human smuggling is a dangerous crime," U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath of the Southern District of California said. "These defendants will face justice for abusing vulnerable migrants for profit."
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California told Fox News Digital all three victims were illegally smuggled into the U.S., adding that the defendants are accused of "stealing" them from a different human trafficking network.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Homeland Security Investigations and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office for further comment.
All four suspects who were arrested pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Avila and Salmeron were ordered to be held without bond, while Garcia and Moreno are free on bond.
The U.S. attorney’s office told Fox News Digital they requested Garcia and Moreno be held as well, but the judge did not agree with the prosecution’s reasoning.
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Moreno, Garcia and Salmeron are scheduled for trial on Oct. 1, and Avila is scheduled for an Oct. 29 trial.
Becerra remains a fugitive, and the U.S. attorney’s office encourages anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact law enforcement.
If convicted of all the charges, each suspect could be sentenced to a maximum sentence of life behind bars.
