Four men from Southern California have been charged with federal offenses for allegedly abducting migrants from Arizona, transporting them to California, and subsequently holding them for ransom
The men, Miguel Angel Avila, 22, of Hemet; Omar Avila Salmeron, 41, of Los Angeles; Jose Jaime Garcia, 20, of San Jacinto; and Jose Alfredo Moreno Gonzalez, 21, of Oak Hills, were all arraigned on federal charges and have all pleaded not guilty.
According to the United States Department of Justice, Gabriel Michel Becerra, 22, of Palmdale, is presently a fugitive of law.
The five men were federally indicted on charges of conspiracy, abduction, hostage-taking, and transporting undocumented immigrants.
Avila, Salmeron, Garcia, and Becerra are also facing accusations for conspiracy and attempted interference with commerce, which is a violation of the Hobbs Act, a federal law.
Avila allegedly directed Moreno to drive to a fueling station in Chandler, Arizona, on March 21, 2023, where he allegedly abducted four migrants and transported them to a restaurant in Burbank, as per the July 30 indictment.
The four migrants were subsequently held captive in a house by Avila, Garcia, and Becerra. They contacted their loved ones using the victims’ phones and demanded a ransom payment in exchange for their safe release.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges that Avila utilized one of the victim’s handsets to request that ransom payments be made to two accounts in Mexico and the United States in exchange for the victim’s release.
Avila, Garcia, and Becerra allegedly relocated the victims to a motel room the following day. One of the victims was able to flee through a second-story bathroom window.
Allegedly, Avila and an unidentified co-conspirator pursued the victim to a store in Koreatown, where Avila “body-slammed the victim, placed him in a chokehold, and punched him repeatedly in the face in an attempt to re-kidnap him.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) shared a screenshot of the security camera footage that captured the incident on Monday.
On March 22, 2023, security footage captured a suspect in an investigation concerning the abduction and ransoming of migrants attacking a victim who had fled to a Koreatown business. (United States Department of Justice)
On March 22, 2023, security footage captured a suspect in an investigation concerning the abduction and ransoming of migrants attacking a victim who had fled to a Koreatown business. (United States Department of Justice)
Avila, Garcia, and Becerra are alleged to have restrained two of the remaining hostages by tying their wrists. They subsequently transported them to another residence, where they were confined to a locked room and threatened with violence if they attempted to escape.
According to reports, the following day, the three individuals allegedly transported one of their detainees to a gas station, where they encountered the victim’s brother and obtained $11,000 in cash in exchange for his release.
The four individuals who were charged in this case have all entered pleas of not guilty. Avila and Salmeron are currently being held without bond, while Garcia and Moreno are currently out on bond, according to the Department of Justice.
The trials of Salmeron, Garcia, and Moreno are scheduled to commence on October 1, while Avila’s trial is scheduled for October 29.
If anyone has any information regarding Becerra’s whereabouts, they are encouraged to contact their local law enforcement agency.
According to United States Attorney Martin Estrada, the defendants “preyed upon victims who sought to emigrate to our country.” He declared that the Department of Justice was dedicated to ensuring that those who employ “violence to terrorize others” will be subject to severe repercussions.
The Los Angeles Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Customs and Border Protection continue to investigate the case.
Each defendant may be sentenced to life in federal prison if they are found guilty of all allegations.