TUCSON, Ariz. — A 23-year-old Avondale man has admitted to organizing human smuggling operations that resulted in the death of a migrant last year, federal prosecutors said.
Nathan Jr. Espinoza pleaded guilty on Aug. 6 to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 16 before U.S. District Judge Angela M. Martinez. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250 million.
According to his plea agreement, Espinoza recruited drivers and coordinated the transport of at least 25 migrants from near the U.S.-Mexico border deeper into the United States. Prosecutors say his work was done for personal financial gain.
One smuggling trip on March 6, 2024, turned deadly. Espinoza had arranged for a driver and passenger to pick up two migrants near Lukeville, Arizona. During the journey, the victims were ordered to get out of the moving vehicle. Both exited, either by jumping, falling, or being pushed. One struck his head on the ground and died at a hospital two days later.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations as part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), a Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security partnership targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling. Since its launch, JTFA has secured more than 350 U.S. convictions and over 400 arrests of high-level smugglers and facilitators, along with the seizure of significant assets.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is prosecuting the case.
