WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Whatcom County Jail records show 2 men were booked and charged with 1st-degree human trafficking late Thursday, May 24th, prior to being transferred to federal custody the following day.
According to a complaint filed in Western Washington US District Court, the arrests were the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and US Border Patrol that began in July of 2023.
The investigation identified a phone number “associated with numerous human smuggling events.” This phone number was associated with Jesus Ortiz-Plata, age 45, of Independence, Oregon, and reportedly used to coordinate human smuggling incidents dating back to November of 2022.
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Click for more informationIn August of 2023, Customs and Border Protection officers detected concealed persons inside a rail car containing bulk plastic pellets. A search of the car “found 29 undocumented noncitizens attempting to conceal themselves.” Interviews conducted reportedly revealed the phone number associated with Ortiz-Plata was used to make arrangements with “Chuy.”
In November of 2023, 13 undocumented noncitizens were found attempting to cross into the US via a rail car and when interviewed reportedly revealed using the same phone number to make the arrangements with “Chuy.” 2 had agreed to pay Chuy to be smuggled into the US and transported to Oregon.
Further investigation is said to have uncovered a pattern of Ortiz-Plata traveling between the Seattle metro area and Oregon, California and other US destinations with suspected “noncitizens.”
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Click for more informationOn May 23rd, HSI agents tracked Ortiz-Plata to an apartment in Everett where he was suspected to pick up undocumented noncitizens to transport further into the US. When he returned to his vehicle accompanied by 3 others, agents immediately detained them all. The 3 were determined to be undocumented noncitizens and Ortiz-Plata was arrested for suspicion of alien smuggling.
Agents then knocked on the door of the apartment and Juan Pablo Cuellar Medina, age 35, of Everett, was found to be alone inside. He was also arrested for suspicion of alien smuggling.
The 3 detainees along with Cuellar Medina and Ortiz-Plata were transported to the Ferndale HSI office for questioning. Interviews revealed 2 of the detainees paid a smuggler to take them from Canada to Oregon. They met a person at the rail station who instructed them to hide in a rail car of a freight train. The 2 reportedly rode the train until they were met by Cuella Medina in the US and he drove them to the apartment.
The third detainee said he was instructed to walk across the border to a waiting vehicle and was driven to the apartment.
US District Court records show the prosecutors requested pretrial detention for both Cuellar Medina and Ortiz-Plata due to the risk they may flee to avoid prosecution. Both were remanded to custody and a detention hearing is scheduled for May 29th.