Fugitive Alien Smuggler Suspect Arrested by ICE

15 of the 16 suspected alien smugglers indicted in El Paso now in custody EL PASO, Texas One of the two remaining alien smuggler fugitives was arrested on the morning of January 13, 2006 by special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a local motel here. ICE special agents arrested Raul Lezama-Landeros, 35, after he was seen entering a local motel in the 12200-block of Gateway West in El Paso. He was one of two fugitives still at large following the 12 arrests that ICE originally made Jan. 6. ICE special agents assisted by U.S. Border Patrol agents two weeks ago arrested 12 of 16 people named in two sealed indictments returned Dec. 21 by an El Paso federal grand jury. The indictments were unsealed Jan. 6 just before the arrests. The defendants are charged with smuggling and transporting more than 600 aliens from the El Paso area to Dallas and beyond in the past two years. The indictments name 14 El Paso County residents and two individuals from Dallas, and are the result of an ICE investigation that spanned more than two years. Following the Jan. 6 arrests, three others remained at large. One of the fugitives turned himself in to Socorro, Texas, police late Monday. He told ICE special agents that a relative convinced him to turn himself in after seeing his picture on the news. All 14 of the indicted alien smuggling suspects from El Paso are now in custody. One of the two suspects from Dallas was arrested during last weeks arrests. Maria Guadalupe Castro, aka Maria Hernandez, 46, of Dallas, is the only one who remains at large. There are many people keeping an eye out for these fugitives, and now theres only one fugitive left, said Kyle Hutchins, special agent-in-charge of the El Paso ICE office. Its only a matter of time before we have the last of the 16 in custody. The FBI assisted ICE with this arrest.