8 people arrested in alleged human trafficking network that claimed thousands of victims, Justice Department says

Eight people were arrested Tuesday in what federal authorities say was a massive human trafficking operation that could have claimed thousands of victims.

Erminia Serrano Piedra, also known as “Boss Lady,” allegedly led the operation with seven others, federal prosecutors told reporters. The eight people were arrested in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, accused of transporting a non-citizen for hire while endangering human life.

MORE: 73 migrants – including 13 children – found in Washington ‘hiding places’, official says; smuggling suspected

The Justice Department is also seeking $2.3 million in real estate allegedly linked to the operation.

“This organization was motivated by personal greed and Piedra and his co-conspirators prioritized that greed over the safety of those they smuggled,” Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. said Tuesday. Polite to journalists.

Court documents did not list an attorney who could speak on Piedra's behalf. Suspects appear in court this week; Piedra has a detention hearing scheduled for Friday.

Justice Department officials say the migrant victims, believed to be citizens of Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico, were taken to “hideouts” where smugglers conduct and conceal their illicit activities. Authorities say some of the victims were forced into suitcases while others were crammed into the back of semi-trailers, pickup trucks and even water tankers as they traveled to and from across the United States.

MORE: 4 people charged after 53 people found dead in Texas tractor-trailer

According to the Justice Department, drivers of vehicles used to transport migrants were paid up to $2,500 per person.

“We have alleged that this particular organization was responsible for trafficking at least hundreds, if not thousands, of potential migrants,” Polite said.

Agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement that deals with the fight against illicit trafficking, led the investigation which resulted in the arrest of Katie Ann Garcia, one of the eight suspects on Tuesday in Laredo, Texas, where authorities say 12 migrants were found, including two minors.

“If you commit the crime of human trafficking and manipulate, endanger, and take advantage of struggling and fearful migrants, we are coming for you,” Deputy Homeland Security Secretary John K. Tien said Tuesday. “We will investigate you. We will prosecute you to the fullest extent of our laws. We will leave no stone unturned until we put an end to your harmful practices.”

The Department of Homeland Security says it has stepped up its crackdown on transnational organizations that facilitate human trafficking, arresting nearly 5,000 people in recent months whom the department suspects of being involved in criminal trafficking.

The Biden administration has also launched “Joint Task Force Alpha” with DHS and DOJ as part of the government’s efforts to, as Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said Tuesday, “dismantle the most dangerous human trafficking and smuggling networks.”

“The charges announced today are just the latest example of the success of these efforts,” Garland said in a statement. “The Department of Justice will continue to deploy all of its resources to combat human trafficking and smuggling groups that endanger our communities, abuse and exploit migrants, and threaten our national security.

8 people arrested in alleged human trafficking ring that could have killed thousands: DOJ was originally published on abcnews.go.com