California man pleads guilty to kidnapping and smuggling migrants

Miguel Angel Avila, a 24-year-old resident of Hemet, California, has pleaded guilty in a federal court in Los Angeles to charges of kidnapping and participating in a human smuggling ring for profit. Prosecutors state that Avila led a criminal network that transported more than 100 undocumented migrants into the United States.

The scheme involved holding migrants against their will and demanding ransom payments from their families in exchange for their release. Court documents detail an incident on March 22, 2023, where Avila and accomplices held three migrants in a Los Angeles County motel. During the ordeal, one migrant escaped through a second-story bathroom window and sought help at a nearby store. Avila and a female accomplice pursued the man, and Avila reportedly assaulted him by body-slamming him and punching him repeatedly in the face.

Following the escape, Avila and his associates returned to the motel to retrieve their belongings and relocated the remaining two hostages to an Airbnb rental. The hostages were held until their families provided the requested funds. Prosecutors have recommended a prison sentence of no more than 20 years for Avila, with sentencing scheduled for February 18.