EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A Mexican national is facing a charge of kidnapping after federal investigators say they learned that he was an active human smuggler, that he held an undocumented woman migrant against her will and repeatedly assaulted her physically and sexually.
Luis Antonio Juarez-Quirino has been arrested and is facing a charge of kidnapping, according to court documents obtained by KTSM and filed by a federal agent working in the Deming, New Mexico, office for Homeland Security Investigations.
According to court documents, HSI Deming was called by the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, Oct. 10, requesting help with an investigation.
DASO had responded to a “concerned citizen’s” call about a woman in possible distress at a home in Chaparral, New Mexico.
When deputies arrived, they found two undocumented migrants of Mexican nationality at the home – a man and a woman.
The woman told deputies that she was being held at the residence against her will and said she had been physically and sexually assaulted by Juarez-Quirino, according to documents.
The woman also told DASO deputies that Juarez-Quirino was an “active human smuggler” and that he had brought her and two other undocumented migrants into the United States on Saturday, Oct. 7, according to court documents.
The woman told deputies that Juarez-Quirino initially held her at a home in El Paso and physically and sexually assaulted her on “multiple occasions,” according to court documents.
On Tuesday, Oct. 10, Juarez-Quirino allegedly transported the woman against her will to a residence in Chaparral, where he again held her against her will and assaulted her physically and sexually, according to court documents.
The woman told deputies that she tried to escape multiple times but was unsuccessful.
She also told deputies that the home in El Paso was housing multiple undocumented migrants.
HSI El Paso and Border Patrol agents responded to the home in El Paso and conducted a “consensual” search. That led to the apprehension of four undocumented migrants; two others managed to escape.
HSI agents from the El Paso office said they were approached by neighbors at the El Paso home and said they had seen a blue Camaro that they suspected was transporting undocumented migrants to and from the El Paso home.
The woman victim also told investigators that she was transported from Texas to New Mexico in the blue Camaro. That blue Camaro was later found parked at the residence in Chaparral, according to court documents.
Neighbors also told investigators they had seen a man physically assault a “young female” at the front entrance of the home, according to court documents.
Border Patrol agents interviewed the four undocumented migrants found in the El Paso home and they all admitted they were hired by Juarez-Quirino to “transport and smuggle” undocumented migrants, according to court documents.
At least one of the undocumented migrants said they had seen Juarez-Quirino physically assault the female victim.
On Thursday, Oct. 12, an agent from the HSI Deming office interviewed the alleged female victim and she corroborated all the information she had told DASO deputies, according to court documents.
She told the HSI agent that she had been “romantically involved” with Juarez-Quirino since January. She said the bruises on her arms, face and torso were from the suspect assaulting her.
She also reiterated that she was transported against her will from El Paso to Chaparral, across state lines, and that she had been physically and sexually assaulted at both residences.
The victim also told the HSI agent that the suspect removed the memory card from her phone and broke the phone, which were later located at the El Paso home.
As a result of this investigation, HSI filed a court document and is charging Juarez-Quirino with kidnapping.
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