Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Children with THC-Laced Candy
Dianne Guadian admitted to bringing unaccompanied minors as young as five into the U.S. from Mexico
An El Paso, Texas, woman has pleaded guilty to smuggling unaccompanied alien children into the United States, sometimes using candy laced with THC to sedate them during the crossing. Dianne Guadian, 33, and three other members of an alien smuggling organization brought unaccompanied children between the ages of five and 13 illegally into the United States from Juarez, Mexico, according to court documents.
The Scheme
Drivers and co-conspirators would present U.S. documents to inspecting officers, falsely claiming the documents belonged to the children and that they were the parents. Once inside the United States, the children were transported to El Paso.
During one smuggling event, a child was taken to a local hospital and diagnosed with THC poisoning.
One of Guadian’s co-defendants, Manuel Valenzuela, was sentenced on July 1 to five years in prison for his role in the child smuggling scheme.
Guadian pleaded guilty to four counts of aiding and abetting bringing of aliens without authorization for profit. She faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
“This defendant and her co-conspirators engaged in serious and dangerous conduct, which included giving THC-laced gummies to children to sedate them while smuggling them from Mexico into the United States, all in order to make money,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva. “The smuggling of unaccompanied children can expose them to the additional crimes and societal ills of human trafficking and sexual assault. This robs them of their innocence and youth, and it must be stopped.”
Guadian faces between five and 15 years in prison at sentencing.
Puerto Rico Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Children Across Northern Border
Jesus Hernandez Ortiz transported twelve migrants, including two young children, from Canada to Vermont in rented van
A Puerto Rico man has pleaded guilty to smuggling a group of twelve people, including two young children, across the northern border from Canada into Vermont as part of a transnational human smuggling operation spanning at least three continents.
Jesus Hernandez Ortiz, 38, of Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty in the District of Vermont to one count of conspiracy to illegally bring aliens to the United States and one count of illegally bringing at least one alien to the United States for private financial gain.
The Smuggling Operation
According to court documents, as early as September 2023, Hernandez Ortiz was added to an encrypted chat platform that coordinated drivers for long-distance trips, including the pickup of aliens illegally crossing into the United States from Canada. The network organized transportation for migrants who had recently crossed the border from Canada into the U.S.
In mid-September 2023, Hernandez Ortiz agreed to such a trip. He rented a commercial van in New Jersey and drove to the designated pickup location in Holland, Vermont, at the assigned time. Co-conspirators updated him on the exact location and time of the pickup through the encrypted messaging platform.
Once there, Hernandez Ortiz picked up a group of twelve individuals, including two young children, who had just entered the United States illegally. Hernandez Ortiz expected payment of $400 per alien, for a total of $4,800, upon arrival in New York City.
Hernandez Ortiz was charged alongside a co-defendant, Francisco Antonio Luna Rosado, on Jan. 29. Luna Rosado remains a fugitive.
Charges and Penalties
Hernandez Ortiz pleaded guilty to both charges. A sentencing date has not yet been set. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The defendant joined a sophisticated illegal alien smuggling network, which spanned at least three continents, and even smuggled young children,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Smuggling illegal aliens over our borders — whether southern or northern — puts both aliens and the American people at risk and violates the sanctity of our laws and our national security. The Department of Justice will continue to aggressively prosecute alien smugglers to enforce our criminal laws against illegal immigration and keep the American people safe.”
“The northern border is incredibly dangerous and anyone encouraging or facilitating the smuggling of aliens, especially children, across the border in these remote locations is putting lives at risk,” said Acting Deputy Executive Associate Director Matthew Millhollin of HSI. “Hernandez Ortiz has admitted to smuggling aliens for profit and now he’s facing real prison time.”
“Human smuggling, especially that of children, is a crime that preys on the most vulnerable populations,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Richard J. Fortunato of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Swanton Sector. “The incredible work of Swanton Sector’s Intelligence Unit, in collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations, was essential in preventing the smuggling and potential trafficking of these individuals and children.”
Hernandez Ortiz faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing. Co-defendant Luna Rosado remains at large.
Dual National Admits Role in Firearms Trafficking Scheme from U.S. to Dominica
Dimitri Beix used eBay and a network of suppliers to smuggle handguns, parts, and ammunition to the Caribbean island
A dual Dominican and French citizen has pleaded guilty to leading a scheme to illegally traffic and export firearms, firearm components, and ammunition from the United States to Dominica.
Dimitri Beix, 28, a resident of Dominica, pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least January 2021 through September 2024, Beix led a scheme to smuggle firearms, firearm components, and ammunition from the U.S. to Dominica without first having obtained the required licenses or authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce, in violation of the Export Control Reform Act.
Beix used a network of suppliers, buyers, and shippers in Connecticut and elsewhere in the U.S. to facilitate his illicit procurement of firearms. He provided his U.S. suppliers with lists of firearm parts to purchase on his behalf via eBay and other retailers. Beix, using his own eBay accounts, also purchased more than 100 firearm parts himself and had the items shipped to individuals in the United States. Firearms and parts were then shipped to Beix in Dominica.
The scheme exploited online marketplaces and shipping networks to acquire and export restricted items without the required government authorizations. Beix coordinated the procurement and shipment of firearms and components through multiple intermediaries in an effort to conceal the true destination of the items.
Intercepted Shipments
In February 2023, Dominica authorities intercepted three parcels shipped from the U.S. to Beix in Dominica. The parcels contained:
- Six handguns
- Glock slides
- Trigger assemblies
- Sight assemblies
- Rifle magazines
- Pistol magazines
- AM15 rifle parts
- A suppressor kit
- Ammunition
- Other firearm components
The seizure by Dominica authorities revealed the scope of Beix’s trafficking operation and led to further investigation by U.S. law enforcement agencies.
Beix pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“Beix led a sophisticated scheme to illegally export firearms and components from the United States to Dominica, evading U.S. export controls and endangering public safety,” authorities stated.
Beix has been detained since November 27, 2024, when he was arrested in Sint Maarten at the request of the United States. He was extradited to the United States in February 2026.
Beix faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Deported Three Times, Illegal Alien Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Reentering U.S.
Guatemalan national serving 25 years for child sexual abuse now faces additional federal prison time
An illegal alien from Guatemala who was previously deported on three separate occasions has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after being arrested in Maryland on charges of sexual abuse of a minor.
Bayron Leopoldo Perez Batres, 64, who resided in Beltsville, Maryland, unlawfully reentered the United States after having been previously removed to Guatemala in January 1996, September 2009, and May 2010.
On Sept. 6, 2024, Perez Batres was arrested in Maryland on state charges relating to sexual abuse of a minor. After his arrest, it was established that he was illegally present in the United States and that he had been previously removed to Guatemala on three separate occasions.
He was charged with illegal reentry in the present case on Nov. 13, 2025.
Perez Batres pleaded guilty to state sexual abuse charges on Sept. 2, 2025, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison in October 2025.
Perez Batres pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after previous deportation. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 20 and faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The federal sentence would be served in addition to the 25-year state sentence for sexual abuse of a minor.
Perez Batres faces up to two additional years in federal prison at his Oct. 20 sentencing, on top of his 25-year state sentence for sexual abuse of a minor.
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