Texas resident pleads guilty in child smuggling scheme involving THC-laced candy

A lawful permanent resident of El Paso, Texas, has pleaded guilty to federal charges for his role in a scheme that smuggled children from Mexico into the United States, sometimes using candy laced with THC to sedate them, according to federal prosecutors.

Manuel Valenzuela, 35, a lawful permanent resident of El Paso, admitted to four charges related to the operation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas said in a statement on Monday.

Court documents state that members of the smuggling network illegally brought unaccompanied children, some between the ages of five and 13, across the border from Ciudad Juárez into El Paso.

During some crossings, the children were given candy containing THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana. One child was hospitalized after being diagnosed with THC poisoning at an El Paso hospital.

Prosecutors said smugglers used falsified U.S. documents at ports of entry, pretending to be the children’s parents. Once across the border, Valenzuela picked up the children and paid the drivers involved in the operation.

Valenzuela was arrested on August 30 along with Dianne Guadian, a U.S. citizen. Two Mexican nationals, Susana Guadian and Daniel Guadian, were also charged in a five-count indictment filed on September 24.

Valenzuela pleaded guilty on Thursday to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens and three counts of aiding and abetting the smuggling of aliens for profit. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 11 years in prison.