Evergreen Reporter

Tonya Durinda Romero, a 37-year-old resident of Phoenix, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for her involvement in human smuggling activities. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi on November 14, 2024. Following her prison term, Romero will also serve three years of supervised release.

Romero had previously pleaded guilty to the charge of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens on July 31, 2024. Her admission revealed that she was part of a conspiracy responsible for transporting undocumented noncitizens from southern Arizona to the Phoenix metropolitan area. Romero's role included renting stash houses to hide the noncitizens and providing vehicles for their further transportation into the United States.

The case came to light when Romero was stopped by a deputy sheriff from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office on January 30, 2024. The stop occurred because her vehicle registration had expired; it was also discovered that she was driving with a suspended license and without insurance. During an interview at the Casa Grande Border Patrol station, Romero confessed to law enforcement officials that she had been involved in human smuggling since the age of 16.

The investigation into this case was conducted by Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa E. Jennis from the District of Arizona in Phoenix led the prosecution.