(FOX 2) - A Ypsilanti woman was arrested for allegedly smuggling undocumented immigrants from Central America into the United States across the northern border, according to the US Department of Justice.
What they're saying:
The DOJ said from February through November 2024, 53-year-old Norma Linda Lozano from Ypsilanti, also known as Norma Linda Quintanilla, allegedly participated in an alien smuggling organization that brought undocumented immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador, including children, into the United States from Canada.
According to the indictment, the organization instructed them to cross the border on foot, provided GPS coordinates and a description of Lozano’s vehicle where they would have been picked up. They would then allegedly pay Lozano for smuggling services.
Officials say Lozano drove to Vermont to meet the undocumented immigrants at locations near the border.
She then took them further into the US and delivered them to businesses, houses or airports.
Dig deeper:
According to the DOJ, Lozano allegedly transported three people from Guatemala and El Salvador in her car, with a 5-year-old girl. The child rode in the front passenger seat, and Lozano falsely claimed the child was her granddaughter.
In another event, she is accused of taking six adults, an 8-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy.
The girl was placed in the cargo area of the hatchback on top of her luggage.
What's next:
Lozano was charged with one count of conspiracy to smuggle aliens and six counts of bringing aliens to the United States for profit.
The Source: FOX 2 used details from a DOJ press release for information in this report.