PHOENIX, Arizona — On April 2, 2025, Ivan Mauricio Hernandez-Mosqueda, a 32-year-old Mexican national from Penjamo, Guanajuato, Mexico, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for Conspiracy to Encourage and Induce an Alien to Unlawfully Enter the United States. United States District Judge Krissa M. Lanham handed down the sentence after Hernandez-Mosqueda, who was illegally present in the United States, orchestrated a smuggling operation that brought over 100 individuals into Arizona.

Court documents reveal that starting in early 2023, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered numerous Mexican nationals, including family units, who had entered the United States illegally and claimed asylum. Many of these individuals identified Hernandez-Mosqueda as their guide, a known figure in Penjamo who facilitated their journey to Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico, before smuggling them across the border. His associates then helped the aliens enter Arizona illegally. Hernandez-Mosqueda used platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to connect with clients, often referred by others he had successfully smuggled.

Hernandez-Mosqueda also coached these illegal aliens on how to falsely claim asylum to gain legal status in the United States, exploiting the asylum system for profit. The investigation, led by Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol Sector Intelligence Unit, uncovered the extent of his operation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart Zander and Matthew Doyle from the District of Arizona in Phoenix prosecuted the case, ensuring Hernandez-Mosqueda faced justice for his actions.

Published by State Gleam
Keywords: Ivan Mauricio Hernandez-Mosqueda, Human Smuggling, Arizona Border, False Asylum Claims, U.S. Border Patrol, April 2, Phoenix