Alaskan man indicted as financial sponsor of unaccompanied minor in Texas alien smuggling investigation

McALLEN, Texas - A 44-year-old man from Chugaik, Alaska, has been charged in the Southern District of Texas for paying to bring illegal aliens into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Douglas Price is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon in Anchorage, Alaska, at 1 p.m. (Alaska Standard Time).

The charges allege Price used a payment account associated with his business to pay approximately $5,000 to alien smugglers for a Honduran woman and her child to be smuggled into the United States. The woman and her child were subsequently separated during the smuggling journey, according to the criminal complaint originally filed in the case.

"This man allegedly paid smugglers to bring an illegal alien child and mother to this country, and in doing so, the child ended up alone during the dangerous journey," said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. "Under POTUS, vetting of sponsors for unaccompanied alien children is as strong as ever, and federal partners found this "sponsor" to be unfit. It is a crime to smuggle illegal aliens into this country, and particularly horrendous to expose a child to untold dangers. Working with our federal partners, we will continue to uphold the law and in doing so, keep children from potential harm."

"This indictment demonstrates the far-reaching and positive impact a secure southern border provides for all Americans," said Ganjei. "Price allegedly spent thousands of dollars attempting to smuggle two aliens, including an unaccompanied minor, more than 4,000 miles, from the Texas border all the way up to Alaska. Price's alleged scheme unreasonably subjected this child to incredible risk, as human smuggling is a dangerous, and often even deadly, business. Now, Price will be paying for his own return trip-to a federal courthouse in the Southern District of Texas."

Law enforcement allegedly apprehended the unaccompanied minor Jan. 16 upon crossing the border in Hidalgo. They took the mother into custody six days later as she crossed illegally at the same location, according to the charges.

The indictment, returned Feb. 3, charges Price with conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States and encouraging aliens to come to, enter or reside in the country. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Homeland Security Investigations in McAllen and Anchorage conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Refugee and Resettlement and U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana Weber in the District of Alaska.

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.

A criminal complaint or indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.