A Southern California man who admitted his involvement in a scheme to kidnap migrants to the United States and hold them for ransom, demanding cash from their families in exchange for their safe return, pleaded guilty Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles to federal charges.
Miguel Angel Avila, 24, of Hemet, is among five defendants charged in the case.
Avila pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping and other federal counts, including conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and transporting illegal aliens for private financial gain.
Prosecutors agreed to recommend a prison sentence of no more than 20 years at sentencing Feb. 18.
According to his plea agreement, Avila was the leader of a human smuggling ring operating out of Hemet that transported more than 100 non-citizens who had crossed into the U.S. unlawfully.
On March 22, 2023, Avila and two co-defendants moved three undocumented migrants to a motel room in Los Angeles County, where they were held against their will, according to documents filed in Los Angeles federal court.
That night, one of the migrants escaped from the second-story motel room through a bathroom window and ran to a store seeking assistance, prosecutors said. Avila and a female co-conspirator chased the man to the store, where Avila body-slammed the hostage to the ground, placed him in a chokehold and punched him repeatedly in the face, the plea agreement states.
When police were called, Avila and his accomplice returned to the motel room, where conspirators gathered their belongings and departed with the two remaining hostages, prosecutors said.
Avila then arranged for an Airbnb rental in Los Angeles and, with the assistance of accomplices, transported the hostages to another location, where they were held against their will until their families paid the demanded ransom, the plea agreement says.
On March 23, 2023, Avila sent two co-defendants to transport one of the hostages to a gas station in San Bernardino County, where the man’s brother handed over $11,000 in cash in exchange for the victim’s release.
Avila’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.
Also Wednesday, co-defendant Omar Avila Salmeron, 43, of South Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to federal charges before the same judge and is also set to be sentenced Feb. 18.
The news about a kidnapping case involving unlawful migrants is a reminder of the serious risks people can face when they are exploited during migration. It is important to discuss these cases with care and remember the human impact behind the headlines. For more thoughtful writing and personal perspectives, explore https://www.mayabutalid.com/