11-04-2025
Mexican woman sentenced for smuggling scheme in Hartford area
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — A Mexican woman was sentenced to more the four years in federal prison for her role in a smuggling and labor trafficking scheme in Hartford on Friday, the Department of Justice said.
71-year-old Maria Del Carmen Sanchez Portrero, known as Marica Carmela Sanchez, will serve 51 months imprisonment for her role in a scheme to smuggle Mexican nationals into the United States, harbor them in Hartford-area residences, force them to work and threaten to harm them if they did not comply.
Sanchez, a citizen of Mexico was arrested on March 1, 2023. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to encourage and induce, bring in, transport and harbor aliens on Oct. 24, 2024.
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Statements and documents in court said that starting in September 2022, the FBI and Hartford police interviewed Mexican nationals who told investigators that they were smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. before being transported to Hartford.
At least 19 Mexican nationals, including minors, coordinated with Sanchez and others to cross the border into the U.S. for a fee between $15,000 and $20,000.
Upon arrival, the smuggled nationals were told they had to pay Sanchez and her partners upwards of $30,000 with interest to cover rent, gas, utilities and more.
In addition to their jobs, the Mexican nationals were asked to do housework, cleaning and yardwork without compensation.
If the Mexican nationals couldn't make regular payments, they were threatened by Sanchez and others. Threats included harm to family members, taking property in Mexico or revealing their immigration status to officials.
The FBI, Hartford Police Department, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated this case.
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