EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A man from El Paso who was holding migrants hostage and intending to distribute fentanyl was sentenced in federal court after a prior felony drug conviction.
According to court documents, 39-year-old Simon Roberto Alvarado conspired with Juan Carlos Calzada, 30, and Mexican national Janeth Nicole Magallanes to hold six citizens from Guatemala and Honduras.
The Department of Justice also said the co-conspirators the migrants were threatened with injury and held hostage in an apartment if their families didn’t not pay ransoms.
Magallanes was detained by FBI agents while conducting surveillance at the residence on January 5, 2021, and later six hostages were found along with several weapons, the DOJ added.
According to the documents, Alvarado was the owner of the residence, and a search of Alvarado’s phone showed he and others had also trafficked more than 400 grams of fentanyl through the Western District of Texas.
The Court sentenced Calzada on Feb. 14 to 78 months in federal prison for one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking. Magallanes was sentenced on Feb. 20 to 120 months for one count of hostage taking.
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