Mexican national sentenced in border child smuggling case involving THC-laced candy

A Mexican nationalist was sentenced Wednesday to 5 years successful national situation aft admitting to participating successful a quality smuggling cognition that prosecutors accidental utilized THC-laced candy to sedate children arsenic young arsenic 5 earlier bringing them crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.

Federal prosecutors said 1 kid suffered THC poisoning and was hospitalized aft being fixed the drug-laced candy during 1 of the smuggling operations.

Manuel Valenzuela, 35, pleaded blameworthy past November to 1 number of conspiracy to transport aliens, 3 counts of bringing aliens into the United States for fiscal summation and 1 number of aiding and abetting.

WATCH: TRUMP DHS ESCALATES PRESSURE OVER MIGRANT CHILD WARNINGS IT SAYS BIDEN IGNORED: ‘MOVE HEAVEN AND HELL’

Manuel Valenzuela was sentenced to 5 years successful situation aft pleading blameworthy to participating successful a kid smuggling operation, national prosecutors said. (John Moore/Getty Images; Department of Justice)

Valenzuela was 1 of 4 radical charged past twelvemonth successful the alleged smuggling scheme. Prosecutors accused the radical of transporting unaccompanied children betwixt the ages of 5 and 13 from Juárez, Mexico, into the United States.

According to tribunal documents, the smugglers presented U.S. recognition documents to borderline officers portion falsely claiming the children were their ain parents.

Prosecutors said the children were past transported to El Paso aft crossing the border.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION NAMES ROSARIO 'PETE' VASQUEZ TO SERVE AS NEXT US BORDER PATROL CHIEF

Manuel Valenzuela was sentenced to 5 years successful national situation aft pleading blameworthy to participating successful a quality smuggling cognition that prosecutors said utilized THC-laced candy to sedate children. (Department of Justice)

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division condemned the scheme, saying, "Needing to sedate children with THC nether the guise of giving them candy shows conscionable however heinous crimes similar this are."

"Smuggling unaccompanied children into the country, pretending to beryllium their parents, and past lying to U.S. migration officials shows the lengths to which criminals similar this volition spell to smuggle children crossed our borders," Duva continued. "The Criminal Division and our instrumentality enforcement partners volition enactment an extremity to this conduct. Protecting children and keeping our borders harmless spell hand-in-hand."

Acting Special Agent successful Charge Ryan McRae of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso said utilizing children successful smuggling operations shows a "total disregard for quality beingness and safety."

DHS HAS ONLY 7 CHILD EXPLOITATION ANALYSTS, HAWLEY MEASURE WOULD FUND 200 INVESTIGATORS

Federal prosecutors allege smugglers utilized THC-laced candy to sedate children arsenic young arsenic 5 earlier bringing them crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. (Department of Justice)

"Using THC-infused candy to facilitate the smuggling of children crossed the borderline into the United States is reprehensible and cruel and puts susceptible minors astatine superior risk," McRae said. "HSI volition relentlessly prosecute transnational transgression organizations liable for these heinous tactics and bring them to justice."

According to the transgression complaint, the smuggling events took spot betwixt May 1 and Oct. 18, 2024.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Prosecutors said proof-of-life photographs of immoderate of the children were recovered from the suspects' cellphones.

Fox News' Brooke Taylor contributed to this report.