California gang member arrested near Lordsburg, New Mexico, charged with human trafficking

A member of the Sureños Street Gang from California and his cousin were arrested in New Mexico earlier this month, on suspicion of trying to smuggle people into the country. According to federal court documents, Luis Antonio Chavez, 33, and Emmanuel Pizano, 31, were arrested July 17 in Lordsburg and each are charged with one felony count of smuggling illegal aliens. Chavez and Pizano allegedly told Border Patrol agents they had met a group of Mexican nationals at a gas station who asked for a ride. The Mexican nationals who talked to agents, however, said Chavez and Pizano were part of a scheme to smuggle them into the United States. During the interview with agents, Chavez informed them he was a member of the Sureños Street Gang from California. None of the passengers in the backseat were United States citizens, court documents state. During an interview with officials, one of the passengers in the vehicle said he left his hometown of Guanajuato, Mexico, on July 13, and made smuggling arrangements with someone he didn't know in Juárez. The passenger told authorities that he was placed in a stash house in Juárez until July 16, when he and four other people were transported west...MORE