Four individuals have been charged in connection with a shocking scheme aimed at smuggling children from Mexico into the United States, utilizing candy infused with THC to sedate the minors during transport.
The charged suspects include Mexican nationals Susana Guadian and Daniel Guadian, both 50 years old, alongside Dianne Guadian, 32, a U.S. citizen and daughter of Susana, and Manuel Valenzuela, 35, a lawful permanent resident living in El Paso, Texas.
These individuals are accused of conspiracy to transport aliens and bringing aliens into the United States for monetary gain in the Western District of Texas. Dianne Guadian and Manuel Valenzuela were arrested in El Paso on August 30, having their initial court appearances on September 2.
Court documents reveal that from approximately May 1 to October 17, 2024, the defendants participated in an alien smuggling organization (ASO) that illicitly brought unaccompanied children aged between five and thirteen into the United States from Juarez, Mexico.
The complaint outlines that Susana and Daniel Guadian were responsible for recruiting drivers to transport these vulnerable children by car across the U.S. border. These drivers, along with their accomplices, would falsely present U.S. documents to border inspectors, claiming the documents belonged to the children and that they were their parents.
In a particularly alarming instance, some of the children were reportedly given gummy candies infused with marijuana to keep them quiet during the smuggling process. One child was taken to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with marijuana poisoning, demonstrating the severe risks involved in the operation.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that one minor told emergency medical services (EMS) he did not consume the gummies but rather discarded them on the floor of the inspection area. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers recovered the gummies for testing.
Upon their illegal entry into the United States, the children were transported to El Paso, where Dianne Guadian and Manuel Valenzuela would collect them, subsequently paying the drivers $900 for each child they successfully smuggled into the country.
Agents investigating the case were able to scrutinize Dianne Guadian’s cellphone and discovered an incriminating conversation between her and a person believed to be Susana Guadian. In their exchange on October 17, 2024, Susana asked Dianne if she would be working that day and mentioned having children aged 7 and 8, later adding that she also had two girls aged 4 and 5. Dianne responded affirmatively, underscoring her complicity in the operation.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized the Department of Justice’s commitment to vigorously investigating and prosecuting human smuggling. She stated, ‘This Department of Justice is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear. We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.’
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division condemned the defendants’ actions, stating, ‘These defendants allegedly risked the lives of children by using drug-laced candy to keep them quiet while being smuggled into the United States. Targeting children in this way is especially dangerous and cruel. The Criminal Division is dedicated to safeguarding vulnerable populations and dismantling the for-profit smuggling networks that exploit them.’
U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas further characterized the defendants as acting without regard for the wellbeing of the children involved, saying, ‘When these cartels and the Alien Smuggling Organizations with which they partner see children, they see dollar signs. This case shows that cartels and alien smuggling organizations care nothing for the wellbeing of the people they move into the United States. They only care about enriching themselves. In the Western District, we will muster all our resources to remove from society those who would profit off of the hopeless and helpless.’
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso stated, ‘Every child placed in a smuggler’s hands is a life placed in danger. These predators see desperation as an opportunity. To these criminals, vulnerable children are nothing more than currency—a means to turn human lives into profit. The smuggling of children is one of the most callous and reprehensible crimes HSI investigates, and we won’t stop pursuing those who profit by endangering young lives.’
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