EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — An El Paso federal grand jury returned an indictment on Wednesday, July 16, charging a Mexican national with three counts of human smuggling, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the Western District of Texas.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Manuel Alejandro Melendez-Cereceres, aka “Monstro”, 40, who was living in El Paso, acted as a facilitator within the Western District of Texas and the District of New Mexico regarding human smuggling events.
Melendez-Cereceres’ roles included recruiting and coordinating drivers and vehicles to pick up smuggled migrants for the purpose of transporting them to residences or hotels for harboring or to other locations to be picked up by an additional driver, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Melendez-Cereceres was arrested and made an initial court appearance last month.
Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Border Patrol are investigating the case.
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