El Paso Woman Dianne Guadian Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Minors with THC-Laced Candy
Dianne Guadian, a 33‑year‑old resident of El Paso, Texas, pleaded guilty in federal court to four counts of illegally smuggling unaccompanied children from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico into the United States. The scheme, active from March 2023 to October 2024, moved minors aged five to thirteen across the Paso del Norte bridge.
Guadian and three co‑conspirators – her parents Susana and Daniel Guadian and associate Manuel Valenzuela – gave the children THC‑laced gummies to sedate them during the crossing and presented false U.S. identification claiming the children were their own. The network earned $600‑$900 per child, with reports of $700 per child in earlier attempts. In one crossing a child was taken to a local hospital and diagnosed with THC intoxication.
Manuel Valenzuela had previously been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for his role. Prosecutors said Guadian faces a potential sentence of 16 to 50 years in federal prison, with possible fines up to $1 million.
Entities: Daniel Guadian · Dianne Guadian · Manuel Valenzuela · Susana Guadian · U.S. Department of Justice
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The smuggling operation ran from March 2023 to October 2024, with payments of $600‑$900 per child. (50238956-f643-40ba-aa37-dd51cc6c6a90)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Dianne Guadian pleaded guilty to four counts of smuggling illegal minors into the United States. (6ce3ceb4-f76e-46a2-bf74-44cd3304a9f0, 6ffb44c7-7fc0-4990-aaf4-f55db153d716, 50238956-f643-40ba-aa37-dd51cc6c6a90)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The conspirators gave THC‑laced candy to the children to sedate them during the crossing. (6ce3ceb4-f76e-46a2-bf74-44cd3304a9f0, 6ffb44c7-7fc0-4990-aaf4-f55db153d716, 50238956-f643-40ba-aa37-dd51cc6c6a90)
- [● 2 SOURCES] A child was taken to a local hospital and diagnosed with THC intoxication during an attempted smuggle. (6ce3ceb4-f76e-46a2-bf74-44cd3304a9f0, 6ffb44c7-7fc0-4990-aaf4-f55db153d716)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Manuel Valenzuela was sentenced to five years in prison for his participation in the smuggling scheme. (6ce3ceb4-f76e-46a2-bf74-44cd3304a9f0, 6ffb44c7-7fc0-4990-aaf4-f55db153d716)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] If sentenced, Guadian faces a minimum of 16 years and up to 50 years in federal prison, plus potential fines of $1 million. (50238956-f643-40ba-aa37-dd51cc6c6a90)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The smuggling scheme moved children aged five to thirteen from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico to El Paso, Texas. (6ffb44c7-7fc0-4990-aaf4-f55db153d716, 50238956-f643-40ba-aa37-dd51cc6c6a90)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The group used false U.S. identification documents claiming the children were their own children. (6ffb44c7-7fc0-4990-aaf4-f55db153d716, 50238956-f643-40ba-aa37-dd51cc6c6a90)