face severe, comprehensive justice.”
“The defendant is charged with conspiring to smuggle families, including young children, across our northern border for profit,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Smuggling organizations threaten the security of our borders and undermines public safety. The Criminal Division is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt smuggling networks wherever they operate and bring their members to justice.”
“Those who promote and profit from smuggling migrants into the country take advantage of vulnerable individuals without regard for the safety of others,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher for the District of Vermont. “The prosecution of Ms. Lozano should send a message that those who commit these offenses will be investigated and held responsible, not only for their own criminal acts but also for facilitating illegal border crossings by others. Thank you to our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their collaborative investigative work to keep our communities and country safe.”
“Human smuggling is a ruthless criminal enterprise that exploits vulnerable individuals for profit without regard for their life and safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of HSI New England. “HSI remains steadfast in combating alien smuggling organizations and upholding the integrity of our borders.”
“I commend the unwavering dedication and vigilance of our agents in combating the dangers posed by smuggling operations along our northern border,” said Chief Robert N. Garcia of U.S. Border Patrol Swanton Sector. “Smuggling, whether it involves people, contraband, or other illicit activities, poses a significant threat to public safety and national security. The alleged actions of Norma Linda Lozano underscore the risks associated with these criminal enterprises and the critical need for robust enforcement efforts. I would also like to extend my appreciation to all of our partners in the investigation and indictment of Lozano. Their efforts are vital to ensuring that those who engage in these dangerous and illegal activities are held accountable.”
A federal grand jury charged Norma Linda Lozano, also known as Norma Linda Quintanilla Lozano, 53, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, with one count of conspiracy to smuggle aliens and six counts of bringing aliens to the United States for profit.
According to the indictment, from February through November 2024, Lozano participated in an alien smuggling organization (ASO) that brought and attempted to bring aliens from Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador, including children, illegally into the United States from Canada. The ASO instructed the aliens to cross the border on foot, provided GPS coordinates and a description of Lozano’s vehicle, and coordinated their pick-up once inside the United States.
Lozano allegedly drove from Michigan to Vermont to meet the aliens at prearranged locations near the border. She then transported the aliens further into the United States, delivering them to residences, businesses, or airports. The aliens or their family members allegedly paid Lozano for smuggling services.
In one smuggling event, Lozano allegedly transported three aliens from Guatemala and El Salvador in her car, with a five-year-old girl. The child rode in the front passenger seat, and Lozano falsely claimed the child was her granddaughter. In another smuggling event, she allegedly transported six adults along with an eight-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy. The girl was placed in the cargo area of the hatchback on top of luggage.
The investigation and indictment are the first brought in the District of Vermont coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southern and northern borders. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
HSI Burlington and U.S. Border Patrol Swanton Sector led U.S. investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
Trial Attorney Jenna Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Arra for the District of Vermont are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.