DOJ Indicts 3 Guatemalans in Child-Smuggling Case Involving 12+ Minors as It Flags 15,500 Sponsor Cases
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 11
DOJ Indicts 3 Guatemalans in Child-Smuggling Case Involving 12+ Minors as It Flags 15,500 Sponsor Cases
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 11
Summary
Three Guatemalan nationals were indicted in Ohio on charges of conspiring to smuggle more than a dozen children into the United States, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.
Blanche said the case exploited migrant-child sponsorship loopholes from the Biden era and called it one example among more than 15,500 identified "super-sponsor" cases involving adults linked to over three unrelated children.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin tied the indictments to broader abuse allegations, saying 450,000 children were released to unvetted sponsors and that officials have located 146,000 so far.
Mullin also cited prior government findings that over a third of female migrants were sexually assaulted before reaching the border, while 2025 HHS data obtained by Sen. Chuck Grassley showed 65,605 child-welfare reports were ignored or dismissed, including 7,346 trafficking reports.
The Biden administration had already faced internal scrutiny over sponsor vetting and did pursue some reforms, including a 2024 lawsuit against Southwest Key over alleged sexual abuse at a migrant-child facility.