The Step.– An El Paso man was sentenced in federal court to 292 months in prison for harboring and holding migrants hostage, as well as conspiracy with intent to distribute fentanyl after a prior drug conviction.
According to court documents, Simon Roberto Alvarado, 39, conspired with Juan Carlos Calzada, 30, and Janeth Nicole Magallanes, 26, of Mexican nationality, to detain six Guatemalan and Honduran nationals. The co-conspirators held the migrants hostage in an apartment and threatened to cause injury or death if their families did not pay ransoms.
FBI agents arrested Magallanes while conducting surveillance at the residence on January 5, 2021, and discovered the six hostages along with several weapons. The investigation revealed that Alvarado was the owner of the residence, and a search of Alvarado’s phone indicated that he and others had also trafficked more than 400 grams of fentanyl through the Western District of Texas.
The court sentenced Calzada on Feb. 14 to 78 months in federal prison on one count of conspiracy to commit hostage-taking. Magallanes was sentenced on Feb. 20 to 120 months on one count of hostage-taking.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge John S. Morales of FBI El Paso made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Valenzuela, Kyle Myers and Adam Hines prosecuted the case.
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