TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Two Nogales men were sentenced last week by a U.S. District Judge to 45 months each in federal prison for human smuggling into the United States.
Ian Esteban Serrano, 27, and Marco Antonio Romero, 22, both pleaded guilty in June to charges of conspiracy to transport and harbor undocumented individuals.
Court documents reveal the two men managed and supervised a human smuggling operation in which they recruited drivers and coordinated pick-ups and drop-offs in Nogales and Rio Rico.
Both men carried prior convictions for the same offenses.
Serrano had two previous convictions and was serving a supervised release from his 2016 conviction. Romero was on supervised release from a 2019 conviction.
The 45-month sentences handed down from U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins last week includes eight months for violating their supervised releases.
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Anne Simmons is the digital executive producer for KGUN 9. Anne got her start in television while still a student at the University of Arizona. Before joining KGUN, she managed multiple public access television stations in the Bay Area and has worked as a video producer in the non-profit sector. Share your story ideas and important issues with Anne by emailing anne.simmons@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.
